Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy. I think he said earlier that language is important and that is right. Perhaps the language used yesterday was not the best language. No parent wants to be told his or her child is being offered a stopgap solution. I particularly do not like the use of the term "autism centre" because it sounds othering. It sounds like children are going to be bussed away to a special place set away from other children and the rest of society and put in some sort of special centre, and I do not like that either. Perhaps the language used last night was not the right language. It certainly has been badly received by parents and by advocates in the sector and I hear that and I get that. That is why there is a meeting happening today to consult people about solutions and again making it very clear what we are aiming for is children with special needs being educated in mainstream classes. Where that cannot be done we want to have special classes in mainstream schools and 300 of those have been established only in the past year. It is a very big increase in the provision of special education.

The Minster of State, Deputy Madigan, is willing to use section 37A to require schools to establish more mainstream classes where they do not. Where it is not possible we then need to talk about what the options are and home tuition remains an option in that regard.

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