Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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Deputy Joan Collins was unable to make it. I will concentrate on Dublin 12 in my constituency but many of the issues impact on the constituencies that border our constituencies. The Minister has been in the House before to hear me speak about Scoil Colm, which will now be opened as Our Lady of Hope as a special school. That has given some hope to parents. However, there is still an under-supply of special schools which is pushing more and more children into special autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes. We hear of reports being written stating a child needs a special class - not a special school - because there is no special school available. Ultimately, the children are losing out because they are not getting the correct educational placement they need. Children who should be in a special school are not getting a special school; their need for one is not being registered and they are taking up spaces in special classes, creating overly long waiting lists. In Dublin 12 there is an added burden because established schools in Dublin 4 and Dublin 6 are not being forced to provide ASD classes, as other schools have been by the Department. There are children in Dublin 4 and Dublin 6 who are completely under-supplied with ASD special classes being pushed into Dublin 12, increasing the waiting lists in Dublin 12 and then children from Dublin 12 are being pushed into Dublin 24. All the problems with school transport that we just heard about are affecting these kids as well. These are kids who need stability, predictability and special classes. The system as it is set up is not serving them and they are losing out.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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Much of what I have to say is complementary to what Deputy Costello said but comes at it from a slightly different angle. The main issue I have to raise is access and inclusion model, AIM, staff for children with ASD in early years education at the very start of their national school education. For a Montessori school to take on a child with ASD, it requires AIM staff who have further qualifications than most childcare workers to work one-on-one with the child. It is obviously crucial for children with ASD to attend Montessori preschool and early stages of mainstream education, socialise and get used to a school and communal environment as it is important for their families, parents and guardians. However, many childcare providers and national schools are forced to turn away children with autism as they simply do not have the staff to care for them. One of the big reasons for this is the remuneration for AIM staff is simply not high enough. They are paid €14 an hour which is about €10.85 after tax which is not enough to attract sufficient talent to early years Montessori and senior and junior infant schools across Dublin. As a result providers are forced to turn away children with autism leaving them and their families stuck and out of options as they cannot use their existing staff to work with children. It is unfair for so many reasons. Children with autism have every bit as much right to childcare and an education as any other child, particular in early years and in their first years in primary education. These barriers to entry for children with autism will only disadvantage them as they progress through the national school system. In my area of Dublin Rathdown a family with two young children with autism have been rejected from six childcare providers due to a lack of staff. As they prepare to enter junior infants next September they are unable to establish what national school will be able to accept them.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding provision for children with special educational needs, including autism.

With regard to the particular case referred to by the Deputies, I am assured by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, that the local special education needs organiser, SENO, is working with this family so that the child concerned is placed in the most suitable school placement and the necessary supports are put in place.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority. Children with special educational needs should receive their education in placements that are appropriate to their needs alongside their peers wherever possible unless such an approach would be inconsistent with the best interests of the individual child or other children. This inclusive approach is consistent with the provisions of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. This policy is supported by significant investment on the part of the Government. The State will spend approximately €2 billion, or just under 25% of the entire education budget for 2021, on making additional provision for children with special educational needs this year.

The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on education provision for children nationwide. It has well-established structures in place for engaging with schools and parents. The NCSE seeks to ensure that schools in a given area can, between them, cater for all children who have been identified as needing special education placements. There are planning processes at both national and local levels to ensure the required number of specialist education places come on stream to meet identified need in a timely way. Normally, schools are very willing to respond to the emerging needs in their areas. However, where a shortage of places is identified, the Department of Education works closely with the NCSE and the schools in question to expand provision to meet local need. This collaboration works well. There has been strong collaboration and engagement between the partners in education, the parents and schools in making the provision possible.

The NCSE is working with a significant number of families and schools to secure suitable placements for children with special educational needs. This is important work. I assure the Deputies that it is a priority for all concerned. We will continue to work hand in hand with the partners in education to ensure the individual needs of children are met in the appropriate environment, be it in a special class or a special school.

On some of the points raised by the Deputies, early years education is not my domain but I take the point raised in respect of the need to have appropriately trained staff. Regarding the allocation of staff within the school setting, significant progress is being made in terms of the allocation of special needs assistants. The number of special education teachers is at a significantly higher level, with over 18,000 pupils covered. The same applies to staff with expertise in working with children with additional needs, including children with autism. It must be acknowledged that over one fifth of the budget is rightly being spent in the area of special education.

Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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I thank the Minister. I wanted to raise the similar issue of early years provision. I was saving it for my follow-up question. A family I am trying to do my best to support in my constituency faces a challenge with the Early Start programme, which is under the remit of the Department of Education. The family has a child with a diagnosis of ASD and they are being told there are no special needs assistants available under the Early Start programme. A child in the programme does not get a special needs assistant even if he or she has a diagnosis. That is not good enough. From where I stand, the collaboration the Minister spoke about does not seem to be working very well. There is a domino effect in that children are being bussed out of their own communities into others. The knock-on effect ultimately means that, because some areas are not providing or not being forced to provide the ASD classes they should be providing, other areas and children are suffering.

Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister for the thorough reply. I ask her and the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, to collaborate with the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, Deputy O'Gorman, to determine where there is a clear need for a joint approach. When there is early diagnosis and early intervention, children are not getting the supports they need to allow them to enter mainstream education in the best possible way. That is why we need to see support for Montessori workers in the early childhood sector. Equally, we need to see early childhood services, Montessori schools and crèches provided with the opportunities to expand and have the appropriate spaces. I am aware that much of this does not fall directly under the Minister's purview but it will feed straight into the national school system at a very early stage. If we can have the supports provided to the children and, equally, their families at the earliest point, it will allow for a far better educational process for all the children involved.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate the points made by the Deputies. A positive and proactive approach is being taken in my Department to advancing appropriate provision for children with additional needs. We are very much committed to this. That one fifth of the entire education budget is to be expended on special education is, in itself, a vote of intent indicating our determination to deliver in the area of special education. The Minister of State and I are fully committed to that.

On the points raised on the provision of specific classes in various areas throughout the country, I confirm that all new builds will have specific provision for special classes. This is to ensure that we meet the needs. The provision of additional classes is at a record high but that is not to say there is still not considerable ground to cover. We are committed to covering it.

With regard to the specific case made, if the Deputy wants to bring the details to my attention I will be happy to get my officials to follow up on the matter.