Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for Education, Deputy Foley, for being present to deal with my question. This is a matter we have spoken about privately on a number of occasions. I acknowledge that she has always been constructive in those discussions and in her deliberations with me. I always appreciate her time.

At the outset, I will acknowledge that there have been a number of improvements in the whole area of special education over the past few years. We have seen record investment in special education. I think that investment now accounts for over 20% of the education budget as a whole, amounting to approximately €2 billion. That needs to be acknowledged. There are also record numbers of special needs assistants, SNAs. I know the Minister got an extra allocation in last year's budget. There have also been efforts made to tackle the pupil-teacher ratio. I acknowledge all those positive steps before I get to the challenges ahead.

I received correspondence from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, last March. It details comprehensively the issues we are having in Cork city and county, primarily suburban Cork. That correspondence details that at primary school level, all but one primary school, a school in Midleton, were full in terms of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, provision. The same was true for villages such as Berrings, a relatively small village on the western side of Cork city. For Blackrock in the city centre itself, Grenagh, or whatever other village one wants to mention, this correspondence details the same thing, namely, that in the whole issue of special education, the lack of places is quite stark. The figures suggest that schools are operating at capacity.

The picture is similar when we move to second level. The majority of areas such as Glanmire, where I live, Ballyvolane, The Glen, the entirety of the north side of the city and Churchfield are at capacity at second level.

The most important figure provided by the NCSE is that 193 primary schools have ASD provision for students and only 70 are available at post-primary level. Those figures might have changed since then and I know there was an extra allocation last year but the figures paint a stark picture for kids who depart primary school and transition to second level. There is nearly a 3:1 ratio of ASD provision in primary schools compared to secondary schools. An awful lot of parents and children honestly feel as if they are falling off the edge of a cliff in terms of service provision when they make that transition.

The picture painted by the figures available to me is quite stark. Where do we go from here in terms of service provision for Cork? I am aware that the Minister has powers available to her under section 37A of the Education Act and those powers have only been utilised sparingly, and primarily in Dublin, since that legislation came in.

I ask at this stage that the Minister seriously considers, for parts of the city that I represent, particularly Glanmire and the northern side of the city out to Blarney where it is fairly obvious that certain schools are not pulling their weight, enacting those powers. Saving that, I encourage her to legislate for the NCSE to make direct interventions where schools are failing to meet that need.

Before my time finishes, I will highlight one area in particular that is a real bone of contention. It is not an area that I represent but in Ballincollig, there is a considerable deficit in autism spectrum disorder, ASD, provision. Children are travelling from that area, where I believe there is a population of more than 25,000, to outside villages like those I mentioned earlier such as Dripsey, Farran and so on to get the kind of ASD provision their students need. That is a damning indictment of the system as it is currently set up. I believe that we need to consider changing that to where the discretion is taken away from schools and ascertain whether we empower the Minister or the NCSE to make those interventions.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue as it gives me an opportunity to outline the current position regarding provision for children with special education needs, including autism. In fairness, I acknowledge his ongoing engagement with me and his very clear and specific interest in this area of education. I thank him for that.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government. This year, the Department of Education will invest in excess of €2 billion or more than 25% of the Department's budget in special education needs support. As a result, the numbers of special education needs teachers, special needs assistants, SNAs, and special class and school places are at unprecedented levels in this country.

Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased by almost 386% from 548 to 2,118 for the 2021-22 school year. Of these, 1,854 special classes cater for students with autism. Throughout 2020 and 2021, the Department of Education and the NCSE have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined-up planning process, which has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year. This approach is delivering. This intensive intervention has seen an additional 269 special classes providing more than 1,600 new places opened nationwide for the 2021-22 school year.

Notwithstanding the extent of this investment, there are some parts of the country where increases in population and other issues have led to concerns regarding a shortage of school places. The NCSE has responsibility for co-ordinating and advising on the 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 an area can between them cater for all children who have been identified as needing special class placements.

Normally, special class and special school places are established with the full co-operation of the schools in areas where they are required. There are, however, some parts of the country where the NCSE has faced challenges in getting schools and their patrons to voluntarily agree to provide special classes or special school places. I know this can cause much anguish for the parents and families involved.

There is currently a network of 357 special classes in Cork of which 309 are special classes for children with autism. Of those, 228 are at primary level, including 21 early intervention classes and 81 at post-primary level. A total of 45 new special classes were established for the 2021-22 school year.

The NCSE, through its network of special educational needs organisers, SENOs, is currently engaging in a process of establishing new classes for the 2022-23 school year and beyond. The council is looking at local information with regard to projected demand for future special education places, particularly to cater for students with autism who have associated complex needs.

Budget 2022 has provided for the creation of 287 additional special classes for the 2022-23 school year. These additional classes will provide more than 1,700 new places this year. This additional provision will bring the total number of special classes to more than 2,400 in the 2022-23 school year.

The provision of special school places in Cork was also significantly increased for the 2021-22 school year with the opening of a new special school in Carrigaline. The number of places available in this school will again increase for September 2022 and work is also progressing on the expansion of an existing special school in Rochestown. Overall, budget 2022 has provided for an additional 23 teaching pots and 46 SNA posts in special schools nationwide, which will create an additional 140 special school places in 2022.

Pádraig O'Sullivan (Cork North Central, Fianna Fail)
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The response gives me an update on the figures but it still points out a concerning ratio in the provision of ASD places from primary versus secondary school. In Cork, we are now at 228 at primary level and 81 at post-primary level. There is, therefore, still almost that 3:1 ratio of ASD provision from primary versus secondary, particularly in Cork where the pinch point is. It is when kids are transitioning from primary to secondary level that parents are finding it extremely difficult to get access to ASD places and ASD classes.

With regard to the responsibility of the NCSE for co-ordinating and advising on education provision, as I said, it is quite clear that every unit in suburban Cork is full. It might be anecdotal evidence but it is quite clear to any Teachta Dála from Cork who is approached by parents. We have parents driving or sending their kids on minibuses, often for 30 to 40 minutes and up to an hour. Kids are not getting that provision in their own locality as should be their right.

Without naming schools, I can give examples or large towns where there are three secondary schools and only one school is providing ASD classes. In one case, the other two schools have never bothered. Whether that is an issue over snobbery and not wanting to run an ASD class or whatever the case may be, those are the facts. As long as we allow that discretion for secondary schools and boards of management, that difficulty is going to remain.

I ask again that the Minister give further consideration not only to her own powers under section 37A, but to strengthen the role of the NCSE and get it to directly intervene. Even looking at the demography of Cork, the population growth is quite apparent. From the city centre east to Youghal, there is not one ASD place at the moment. I think there was one last year in St. Aidan's, Ballyvolane but those figures are outdated now. That was the only place between the city centre east as far as Youghal. That is almost 40 km. That is the stark picture and that requires urgent action. I acknowledge that good progress is being made on a new special education site in Glanmire. I know it is at a sensitive commercial stage but, again, there is progress on that issue and that is giving us hope as well.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy again for raising this issue and for the opportunity to reassure the House that the Department is committed to ensuring that all children can access an education suitable to their needs.

Planning is actively under way to ensure that children without a placement for next year are provided with a suitable replacement. The NCSE is leading work in this regard. I reassure the Deputy that the Department will continue to support the NCSE and schools through the provision of necessary funding and capital investment to ensure all children are successful in accessing an education.

Considerable work is undertaken with schools on the ground and this has proven successful, notwithstanding the issues the Deputy has raised and the need to continue to engage with schools in this respect. I want to again emphasise that there is a huge commitment from the point of view of the Department to accelerate provision of school places and special schools. Considerable progress has been made in this very short time span since the formation of this Government. It is a significant recognition that almost 25% of the budget now is being expended on special education and rightly so. Beyond that, specific interventions, for example, budget 2021, provided an additional 990 SNAs and this resulted in more than 18,000 SNAs being allocated to schools by the end of December in 2021. Budget 2022 then provides funding for an additional 1,165 SNAs to provide support to children with special education needs, which will bring the total number of SNAs in this country to more than 19,169 at the end of December 2022. As I said, provision for 19,169 SNAs at the end of the year will represent an increase of 81% since 2011, at which time 10,575 SNAs were provided for.

Budget 2021 also provided for an additional 145 special educational teachers, bringing the provision to 13,765. Budget 2022 provides for the creation of additional 980 new teaching posts in special education. This new investment is required to meet the needs of students with special educational needs. The point is that there is an ongoing commitment to address the issues that arise in staffing and supports for students, as well as the provision of places for students with additional needs.