Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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In September, I raised with the Taoiseach the fact that at the time no autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit or classroom was available for primary school children in Carrick-on-Suir. In his reply, the Taoiseach stated that there was no issue with resourcing ASD units, that extra classes are being opened and schools needed to apply for ASD units. At the end of last week, parents were informed that it is not as easy as the Taoiseach made it out to be. An application made by Gaelscoil Charraig na Siúire was unsuccessful.

Last September, people locally were forced to set up a campaign group to highlight the need for the service, given the difficulties they faced in securing places for their children. One parent highlighted to me that she had looked outside of the local area for an ASD unit to which she could send her daughter. She applied to three schools that had these units, all of which were outside of the area. Each told her that despite booking a place two years in advance, they could not guarantee that she could get one. It has since emerged that in the three or so years previously, as many as 20 people were found to have secured services outside of their area. However, the availability of spaces has dried up and the need for a unit in Carrick-on-Suir has never been more pronounced.

As stated, I raised this matter with the Taoiseach who told me there was no issue with resourcing ASD units. An application was made by the local Gaelscoil last Friday. It was told that current demand appears to be met from the current established classes in the surrounding areas. The school and parents were heartbroken and outraged by this because the reason given for the decision is clearly not based on the reality of the situation.

I have been informed that Piltown has 19 children on a waiting list. Portlaw also has a waiting list. Mooncoin and Carrigeen are full. There is no provision in Clonmel. Carrick-on-Suir and Clonmel combined have a considerable population, yet are meant to make do with the services provided in smaller communities elsewhere. The truth is that to say the requirement for Carrick-on-Suir will be met by existing ASD classes is simply wrong. I have also been told that, when asked, one of the people who signed the letter that turned down an application could neither name nor identify where the additional capacity they referred to was. This is an outrageous way to treat a community and indicates that the system is clearly broken and children have to suffer as a result. There is also a feeling that the lack of special educational needs organisers in South Tipperary is putting Carrick-on-Suir and the wider area off the map.

Is it the case that it is seen as appropriate for a town bordering Kilkenny and Wexford to rely on existing services in those counties? Is it right that children who have a specific need must attend mainstream classes because their particular needs are too much of a headache for the Department? Either way, it is a complete disservice to the children and families of Carrick-on-Suir and the wider area of that part of south Tipperary to say that their needs can be met elsewhere when clearly they cannot.

Can the Minister of State tell the people of Carrick-on-Suir why it is seen as appropriate for the Department to tell them that their needs can be met elsewhere when they clearly cannot? Why is there no special educational needs organiser to represent people's needs?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank Deputy for raising this matter. I always relish the opportunity to talk about special education, especially in the context of areas that need to be addressed. I will get into the specifics of the particular matter, but I want to speak about special education in general.

We have an extensive budget that has increased from €1.1 billion to €2.2 billion over the past number of years, in terms of special classes. The Deputy has asked about what I call special classes and some people call ASD units. There are now 2,148 special classes throughout the country, an increase of 386% since 2011. I want to show the Deputy the progress that has been made before getting into the detail of what he asked about.

Some 1,900 special classes are specifically dedicated to autism which, as we know, is growing exponentially not just in Ireland but internationally. The National Council for Special Education, NCSE, and the Department have worked extensively over the past two years to make sure that we have a streamlined approach. It is important that there is short, medium and long-term planning in order to take population demographics into account, as well as the percentage of school going children that will have an additional need, to ensure that capacity is in place for the future.

This year, 229 special classes opened, which will provide 1,800 additional special class places. From this September, 287 new special classes will come on stream, providing 1,700 places.

We will have a total of 2,400 next year. We are making significant progress all the time. We will have more than 19,000 special needs assistants by the end of this year, which is an increase of 81% since 2011. That is the general view. I do not want the Deputy to be under any illusion that we are not making progress. On this particular issue, in Tipperary, we have 95 special classes. Some 72 of those are for autism, 24 are attached to mainstream settings in south Tipperary, and 12 are at primary level, including two early intervention classes, and 12 are at post primary level. Four new special classes are being opened this year, with two at primary level and two at post primary. From September, there will be five new special classes, with four primary and one post primary. There are also eight autism special classes in the bordering counties, with six primary and two post primary classes in Kilkenny and Waterford, which border Carrick-on-Suir. They are within a 20 km radius of the town.

I will talk about the Gaelscoil etc. when I come back in a second time if I do not get to finish it now. Education is a right under the Constitution. We endeavour to provide that education to all of our children, especially children with additional needs. It is not always possible to provide special classes, special schools or indeed a mainstream class within a particular area, but we endeavour to do so. The Department made site visits to many primary schools in Carrick-on-Suir. We were told that no space was available in those primary schools. The Deputy mentioned Portlaw National School and Carrigeen National School. I understand that they have six places each. They are in the catchment area for Carrick-on-Suir and Waterford.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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The level of demand for autism spectrum disorder units will probably increase in the near future because of the backlog in assessments and diagnosis. There are children currently in mainstream classes who have no choice but to be there because their needs have not been formally diagnosed yet. I appreciate what the Minister of State says about extra classes. There are none in Carrick-on-Suir or south Tipperary. She can tell me about the 95 in Tipperary, but I do not think the Department realises how big a county Tipperary is. It is grand to say 95, but it is the biggest inland county in Ireland, so 95 is not enough as far as we or the parents are concerned.

In one case, a family is trying to make preparation for their daughter's education and they need finance to do so because of the delay in getting a formal diagnosis leaving them in limbo. It is another mess. I appreciate that the pandemic has caused backlogs, but it cannot be used as an excuse for everything that is going on. The Minister of State needs to look at the future and prepare for the increasing demand and the responsibility that will fall to her and her colleagues in the Department. I appeal to the Minister of State to put Carrick-on-Suir on her agenda. As far as I can see, it has been left behind either out of convenience or because the system is broken. The reply the Gaelscoil received indicates that the system is indeed broken, because the reasons for the refusal had no basis in reality and are factually incorrect.

Our children should be served better in Tipperary and around the country. Many have been through an incredibly difficult time during the pandemic. The Minister of State has a responsibility to them and their families, to listen to their needs, to address their demands, and to provide for them. I am not laying the blame with the Minister of State. Carrick-on-Suir has already been let down by the health system, the Department of Health and the Minister for Health, with St. Brigid's hospital closing. I ask the Minister of State to address the issue of ASD classes in that area and to at least give the people of Carrick-on-Suir some hope.

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is correct that I do have a responsibility to meet the special education provision needs of people in various places around the country, including in Carrick-on-Suir. Regarding the assessment of children with additional needs, the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, has responsibility for that in the Department of Health. She is aware of it and I understand that she has cleared 70% of the backlog. It is important that we work well together so that those assessments are made before children avail of their educational placements.

The National Council for Special Education has been engaging with the Gaelscoil, particularly about its medium of instruction and the interaction and integration of students in mainstream settings. That is a possibility. I mentioned other schools, including Portlaw National School and Carrigeen National School. Piltown National School also has one space for September. Additional school accommodation can be provided where there is no existing capacity in a school to cater for children. I understand that the most recent application from schools in Carrick-on-Suir for capital funding in that school planning area has been approved. That may indicate that there will be space for special classes.

Anticipating the current and future demand is critical when we are planning for special education. For the first time, the National Council for Special Education is working closely with the building and planning unit so that we can anticipate that demand and provide those places. If there are children in Carrick-on-Suir who are without a school place, special class place or a mainstream class place, we will endeavour to make sure that they have that place when they attend school. The Deputy brought it to the House's attention today and it will be brought to the attention of the Department.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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Mooncoin, Portlaw, Piltown, Carrigeen, Clonmel and Carrick-on-Suir have nothing. I ask the Minister of State to address it. I appreciate her answer.