Mick Barry (Cork North Central, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

A committee was recently set up in Blarney in County Cork to make the place an autism-friendly town. There are nine parents on that committee. A majority cannot find suitable places for their children in local schools. Two have children who travel 16 km to a special class. One has a child who travels 22 km to a special school. One travels 29 km to a special school. Another travels 13 km to a special school and another 10 km to a special class. Two thirds have to travel 10 km or more to go to school. One family has been forced to place three autistic children in three separate schools. You can see here, by the way, why many parents of autistic kids are being forced to give up work. Travelling for many miles to go to school is not good for the social development of any child and it is certainly not good for the social development of autistic children. If they make friends in school, they should not be effectively prevented from playing with those friends after school because they live so far away. There need to be more special classes in Blarney, just as there need to be more special classes in other places throughout this State.

In the town of Ballincollig, the school authorities at Scoil Eoin, which is a boys' primary school, have 21 boys who need special classes. Scoil Eoin has been denied funding for the building it needs to provide those classes. The Minister met with school representatives four weeks ago and promised an answer within six weeks. I will watch that space like a hawk over the next fortnight. The Minister will be hearing from me again if the news does not fit with the needs of that school and that community.

In Dublin 15, my colleague, Ruth Coppinger, who was re-elected to Fingal County Council this weekend, asked me to raise the fact that 17 parents have contacted the local campaign group, ASD 15, to say their children have no place for September. I understand these parents wrote to the Minister of State recently to seek a meeting. They have yet to receive a reply. Will the Minister of State agree tonight to meet this group as a matter of urgency?

Denial of school places is a human rights violation. Why does this Government continue to refuse to invest to create the autism classes that are needed in this State? Earlier today, I listened to the Taoiseach answer questions about the cut in the non-pay grant per pupil per week for this year's summer programme for autistic children. The Taoiseach told the Dáil that the number of schools participating in the programme this year has increased and that the grant for special schools is the same as last year, which, by the way, with inflation is actually a cutback. However, the Taoiseach did not answer the question about the grant cut for those other kids. It was €45 per week last year. It is down to €30 per week this year. The summer programme, which was formerly known as the July provision, is a vital resource for autistic children in summertime. It is a mean and nasty cut and it should be reversed immediately.

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