Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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The issue that I raise is one that is close to the Minister's heart. I will focus on the Cork region. I have said to the Minister before that there is a chronic lack of spaces for students with autism in ASD special classes attached to mainstream post-primary schools in the Cork area. At present, there are five mainstream post-primary schools that provide special classes. Nagle community college has two classes catering for 12 students; Deerpark has six classes catering for 36 students, which will be reduced this year to four classes catering for only 24 students; North Monastery on the north side has three classes catering for 18 students; St. Vincent's has three classes catering for 18 students; and Ursuline secondary school has one class catering for six students. Unfortunately, as the Minister is aware, a place in each of these special classes only becomes available when an existing student graduates. This is inadequate to meet the current demand for available places. For example, Nagle community college's ASD programme steering committee will very shortly meet to decide upon their enrolment next year. It can only pick four students because only four of its students will graduate. Only four places will become available, yet it has a list of 15 students - 12 boys and three girls. This means 11 students who were in special classrooms at primary level will not be able to avail of that at post-primary level.

The sad thing is that the girls might possibly get a place in St. Vincent's or Ursuline's but for the 12 boys there is no other option because the remaining schools with ASD special classrooms at post-primary level will not enrol anyone next year. Deerpark and North Monastery will not take any students into their special classes next year. In 2016, there will only be four places in special classrooms and ASD classrooms in the whole of Cork city offered to boys with special needs. In 2017 - we know these figures - there will be no places available. In 2018, there will only be one place available. In the past, to try to address this, the local special educational needs officers, SENOs, have asked each of the post-primary schools to look at establishing a special ASD classroom.

To date, only one school in the Cork region, namely, Ursuline secondary school, has taken up that request. No other school has taken up the recommendations from the local special educational needs organisers, SENOs.

There are 15 autism spectrum disorder-specific classes in Cork city but as I stated, two of them will cease this year, thereby reducing the number to 13. If one considers the number of students attending primary school who hope to graduate into post-primary education, there are 66 classes at primary level, which contain 396 students in total, but yet in the entire Cork region there are only 34 classes that cater for 204 places. As 396 students will never go into 204 places, there always will be a chronic shortfall.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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I thank the Deputy and I share his interest in this area. As he has just noted, the SENOs engage with schools and work with them to provide the necessary places. I first will outline the position with regard to children with autism. The Deputy is aware the Government is committed to ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post-primary school network. Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes, which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions delivered by fully-qualified professional teachers with the support of special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum. Children with autism spectrum disorder, ASD, who cannot be accommodated in mainstream education may be enrolled in special classes or special schools where more intensive and supportive interventions are provided. The Deputy also will be aware that the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, is responsible through its network of local SENOs for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with special educational needs, including autism. It also is the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in communities where the need for such classes has been identified. SENOs engage with schools annually to plan for and to open new special classes each year to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post-primary school level to meet demand in a given area. Special classes within mainstream schools are intended for children who, by virtue of their level of special educational needs, cannot reasonably be educated in a mainstream class setting but who can still attend their local school in a special class with a lower pupil-teacher ratio of 6:1.5 at post-primary level and with SNA support. I believe all Members are agreed this is a good option for them. Progress in developing this network has been significant and in addition to the special school placements, there are more than 1,000 special classes nationwide at primary and post-primary level, of which 762 are for children with autism. A total of 194 of these classes for children with autism are at post-primary level, which represents an increase of 27% on the previous school year. However, I acknowledge the issue raised by the Deputy pertains specifically to the post-primary area and to Cork. Nevertheless, progress has been made and the SENOs and the NCSE are engaging with schools on a regular basis to try to increase the willingness of schools to take on such special classes.

As for the requirement for post-primary school places for children with autism, the NCSE, through its network of local SENOs, will engage with schools for the 2016-17 school year to plan for and to open new special classes to ensure there are sufficient placements available to meet demand in an area. The NCSE also will allocate staffing resources to special schools to provide for the number of pupils enrolling for that year, while taking into account the disability categorisation of those pupils and in accordance with the criteria set out in my Department's Circular 0042/2011. Details of all of the special classes for children with special educational needs that are attached to mainstream schools are published each year on the NCSE website. I acknowledge there is a tight timeframe in respect of the forthcoming school year and that the Deputy is specifically raising the issue of post-primary provision in the Cork area. The SENOs are engaging regularly with schools and I recognise the Deputy is raising a fairly urgent issue.

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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I thank the Minister. I recognise there has been a statewide increase of 27% in the provision of places but unfortunately quoting that figure does not reflect the reality on the ground in certain geographic areas and I have provided the Minister with the example of Cork. At present, the closure of two classes in the Cork region is anticipated although I have been unable to confirm why it is proposed to close those classes, which cater for 12 students. Incidentally, that is the exact number of students who will be left without a place in post-primary special classes. While I have been given reasons off the record, I have been unable to confirm them and it would not be right to put them on the record here. Perhaps the Minister can check this out with the school itself, namely, Deerpark Christian Brothers School in Cork city.

The other issue is while I would be first to state the SENOs are active in engaging with the post-primary schools in the Cork area in trying to convince them to open special classes, unfortunately, as I stated in my opening remarks, only one school in Cork city has actually done this, namely, Ursuline secondary school. There appears to be an opt-out clause or position schools can take and despite the evidence stating additional classes are needed, schools are not taking that on board. I do not know the reasons behind this but surely, as Minister for Education and Skills, the Minister can speak to the schools or can make some form of directive. Alternatively, if this is a funding issue, perhaps the Minister can revert and tell me this is why schools are not giving consideration to additional special classes. However, one cannot have a situation whereby in the entire county of Cork, 396 sixth class students are finishing primary school and seek to get into special classes at post-primary level but only 204 places are available. Moreover, this is not to mention the students who may be in special schools at present but who, with the additional help at post-primary level, may be able to transition from special schools into special classes in a mainstream setting. This surely also should be the goal and it should not simply be about trying to maintain thestatus quo. I acknowledge the timeframe is short but I ask the Minister specifically to look into the reason two classes are being lost at Deerpark Christian Brothers School.

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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In response to the Deputy, I do not believe it is a funding issue. While I certainly can clarify that, I do not believe it is a funding issue because funding is not an obstacle that is put in the way of providing such special classes. I certainly can revert to the NCSE and check on the specific details of the school raised by the Deputy. The Department and I encourage schools but cannot force them. We probably can use more leverage when new schools are being established in respect of the criteria and how the Department engages with the proposed patrons. However, the Department certainly can and does encourage schools. I also will take up this matter with the NCSE.