Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for facilitating the discussion of this important local issue, which is also relevant for schools across the country. The news last night that the early intervention class in Kilbrittain National School will not close is very welcome. I cannot emphasise that enough. It is down to the dedicated parents and staff who understand the value of early intervention autism spectrum disorder classes. They are essential classes for children aged three to five. However, this case also reveals a worrying dimension to special needs education. First, the entire situation in Kilbrittain was of the National Council for Special Education's making. It closed the class, leading to additional stress for parents and disruption to school life, as well as taking up time that the principal and staff could otherwise have spent with students. It is now clear that the NCSE can, without engagement, just remove a vital service. The need for the class in Kilbrittain was never in doubt. The school had the staff, space and students enrolled. Nonetheless, a vital service for children with additional needs can be removed just like that. If the NCSE had engaged with the school in the first place, all of this would have been avoided.

Second, and most worryingly, it appears that Kilbrittain is not an isolated case. Indications from the NCSE reveal an agenda to potentially phase out early intervention classes in favour of the access and inclusion model, AIM. AIM is a welcome development, but it cannot in any way replace early intervention classes. The NCSE has repeatedly refused to clarify whether or not this is its policy. It has mostly ignored the question, but when it was pressed in a public meeting, it stated it did not want to comment and that it is waiting for the finding of an AIM report, which would lead us to worry or believe that this is being seriously considered or, worryingly, it has already been decided, and that it is potentially pre-judging the findings of that report, with Kilbrittain being the first casualty. Will the Minister assure us that they will not be phased out and replaced with AIM and explain why the NCSE does not liaise with schools before making decisions?

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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Last night, we received the fabulous news that the early intervention pre-school class at Kilbrittain National School will remain open for the forthcoming academic year. This is unbelievably important for this community. My colleague is right to thank and acknowledge the incredibly hard work of the principal, staff, parents and the entire community of Kilbrittain who fought for this. I also acknowledge the intervention of the Minister's Department. I was delighted to receive correspondence from the Minister's office last night confirming that the class would reopen. That intervention is appreciated. Parents and children should not have to fight for these incredibly important services. The early intervention pre-school class is an effective model that should be expanded and rolled out nationally. I would like the Minister's Department, and the NCSE, which the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, has responsibility for, to take that on.

The issue with Kilbrittain has certainly been resolved for next year, but I have to take this opportunity to raise another school's special needs education where children with autism are involved. I never thought I would be saying this in 2022.

Ballydehob national school is undertaking its own fundraising drive in order to pay for an extra special needs assistant, SNA. It should not happen that it falls to a community and a gentleman - Mr. Barry O'Brien in this case, who is probably best known for arranging the famous turnip racing festival in Ballydehob - to organise a tractor and vintage run in order to fund an SNA allocation for children who need it. The school has been through two appeals and the request has been turned down twice. I would love it if the Minister could consider the matter and intervene.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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It is a serious matter but it is not related to the issue that was selected.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputies for raising this matter as it gives me the opportunity to outline the current position on the provision for children with special educational needs, including autism. Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is an ongoing priority for this Government. This year the Department of Education will invest in excess of €2 billion, or over 25% of the Department's budget, in the area of special educational needs support. As a result, the number of special education teachers, special needs assistants and special classes and school places are at unprecedented levels. Since 2011, the number of special classes in mainstream schools has increased from 548 to a current total of 2,148 for the 2021-22 school year. Of these, almost 1,900 special classes cater for students with autism.

Recognising some of the difficulties experienced by parents in securing appropriate school placements throughout 2020 and 2021, my Department and the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, have worked closely on a more streamlined and joined-up planning process that has ensured a targeted approach to meet demand for special needs placements ahead of each new school year. I am satisfied this approach is delivering and this intensive intervention has seen the addition of 300 special classes, providing 1,800 new places that have already been opened nationwide for the 2021-22 school year.

The Department recognises that where parents have difficulties in securing an appropriate school placement for their child, particularly a child with additional needs, it can most certainly be a stressful experience. The Department is working hard to ensure there are sufficient school places appropriate to the needs of all children available on a timely basis nationwide. On Cork specifically, there is currently a network of 357 special classes, of which 309 are special classes for children with autism. Of those 309 special classes for children with autism, 228 are at primary level, including 21 early intervention classes, with 81 at post-primary level. A total of 45 new special classes have been established in Cork for the 2021-22 school year.

It is important to point out that the early childhood care and education, ECCE, programme provides up to two years of preschool within the eligible age range without charge. The access and inclusion model, AIM, introduced in 2016, enables the full inclusion and meaningful participation of children with disabilities and additional needs in the ECCE programme. The goal is to create a more inclusive environment in preschool so all children, regardless of ability, may benefit from quality early learning and care. The model achieves this by providing universal supports to preschool settings and targeted supports focusing on the needs of the individual child. A diagnosis of autism is not required to access AIM support but preschool children with a diagnosis are generally supported in mainstream preschools, with additional supports provided through AIM where required.

The NCSE sanctions the establishment of special classes, including autism spectrum disorder early intervention classes, where there is an identified need. I understand that, on occasion, early intervention classes are redesigned as school-age special classes to reflect the changing age profile of students. Kilbrittain National School currently has an enrolment of 205 students and the school, in conjunction with the NCSE, agreed that whereas an early intervention class could be opened, it would be redesignated as a primary school special class in September 2022 to meet the projected demand for places in the area. It was further noted the class would cater for the children enrolled in the early intervention class should they continue to require a special class place for primary education.

On 10 February the school engaged with the NCSE on the emerging need for the retention of the early intervention class in the school and requested that the class be retained. The NCSE has now reviewed the matter and approval has been given to the school for the retention of the early intervention class for the 2022-23 school year. In addition, a new special class is being opened by the school to cater for children transitioning from this year's early intervention class. This decision was taken following consideration of the needs in the area and the capacity of the school to make the additional provision.

Holly Cairns (Cork South West, Social Democrats)
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I appreciate that more resources overall are being put into special education but unless that results in support on the ground, they are meaningless. The larger point remains that decisions are being made by the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, on behalf of schools and not with them. We all know staff and parents are the experts on local conditions and the needs of children and they should be at the centre of the process, or at least part of it, and currently they are not.

I will ask the questions again if that is okay. Will the Minister commit to changing that process? Is there a move from the NCSE and the Department of Education to phase out early intervention classes in favour of the access and inclusion model, AIM? Is that the report that is currently under way? The question has not been answered. I put in questions to the Department and the NCSE but I do not get a reply. The disability committee has asked the question but still has not received a reply. The only time we see a response is when the media put in the question but the answer is avoided in this case and Kilbrittain school is referenced on its own. That is very important but people need to know if this is a national policy. Was there prejudgment of the AIM report in deciding to close the resource at Kilbrittain? The Minister has stated this is based on need in an area but how could that happen in Kilbrittain when students were enrolled, staff were in place and accommodation was there for the following year? It does not make sense. This is the reality that parents are experiencing.

Christopher O'Sullivan (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister again for her response on behalf of the school and the community and for her intervention in this regard and ensuring the class remains open. There is also the extra special needs class allocation, which means the pupils in the current preschool early intervention class have a special needs provision.

This has shed light, I suppose, on the overall matter of a lack of SNA provision in particular in the west Cork area, particularly in and around Skibbereen. I do not expect the Minister to know each of these cases individually but I have written to the Minister of State, Deputy Josepha Madigan, about them. I speak about some schools in the Skibbereen area, including Coronea National School and Dreeny National School, which only has 0.5 of an allocation for four children with high needs. There is also Schull National School, which has seven children with very high needs, and St. Joseph's National School in Skibbereen, which has a class with pupils with profound needs. The NCSE is getting this wrong time and again and its approach must change.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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I thank both Deputies and appreciate them raising this matter. It is important to put on record the commitment of this Government to special education. It is worth noting that 25% of our budget, as I outlined earlier, is dedicated to special education, which is correct. That is a budget of €2 billion. It is also important to note that considerable progress has been made in the past number of years in the provision of special education classes. We can very clearly say that budget 2022 provided for the creation of 287 additional special classes for the 2022-23 school year, which will provide over 1,700 new places. This means for the 2022-23 school year, there will be a provision of 2,435 special classes, which is significant progress in a short period. I acknowledge most sincerely that further work must be done.

On the provision of early intervention, I want to be very clear that the request from the school was received by the Department on 10 February; the acknowledgement from the school that its view was that there was an appropriate opportunity for the early intervention class to continue. On 1 March it was communicated that the early intervention class would continue in the school, that it would be retained, and that provision would be made for a new special class to be opened by the school to cater for children transitioning from this year's early intervention class. That speaks volumes about the proactive nature of the process, the determination and the recognition of where there is a need, early intervention classes will be put in place. Where there is a need for children to progress from the early intervention class, that will also be catered for. That is important and we must have a focus on children not just being put into classes but having a facility to progress to meet their future needs. That is being provided for.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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Thank you, Minister. We are over the allocated time.

Norma Foley (Kerry, Fianna Fail)
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On the question of SNA provision, we have had record allocation of SNAs at 19,000, with 1,000 added in the past budget and 1,000 in the previous budget. We will continue to grow that provision.

Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent)
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I am really sorry but we now have ten minutes left for a 12-minute slot so we will be in trouble.