Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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On numerous occasions, I have raised the availability of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes and the challenges faced by parents in accessing those classes for their children. In my county of Tipperary, Carrick-on-Suir is one of the areas that has been the focus of my concern since I was elected to this House. For many years, parents have been faced with uncertainty at the start of each school year. I have no doubt the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, is faced with this issue in her office, as is every Deputy in the Chamber. There is great uncertainty for parents of children with special needs, who are given only a couple of months to organise something for the coming year.

We see the exact same thing every year. Each year, we are faced with claims that there is no issue with the resourcing of ASD classes. We are given the old line that the current demand appears to be met by the currently established classes in surrounding areas. I assure the Minister of State that Carrick-on-Suir is not the only area in which people face these concerns. Parents are tearing the hair out of their head with worry about whether their children will get a place and, if they do, where it will be. Some have been told to keep their child back for another year in preschool. I know of a family in Tipperary town facing similar problems. The parents in that case have contacted school after school but have not been successful in finding a place for their child.

There is a serious issue with how the provision of ASD classes is organised and rolled out. For parents of neurotypical children, they know years in advance where their child will go to school. For the families of children with special and exceptional needs, however, no such plans can be made. Many such parents are left without any certainty only a matter of months before a place is needed. This issue needs to be addressed at this stage. I appreciate there is increased demand on the Department and planning is needed. However, planning for provision for children with special and exceptional needs should not involve the level of uncertainty being experienced by families. Clarity should be provided to them way in advance, not just a couple of months before the start of the school year.

I am often told I should contact the NCSE regarding the provision of classes for children with special needs. It is my duty to let the Minister of State know that the NCSE can be difficult to contact at times. Sometimes the council will point parents to classes that do not even exist. People rarely find themselves speaking to the same person twice, which is part of the problem. As I said, I appreciate the Department is under pressure. However, that it is nothing compared with the pressure these parents are under every year. I urge her to review the way in which this matter is approached and to design a system that has children and their parents at its centre, rather than inflicting panic on families every year.

As I said, I have been pursuing the issue of the provision of spaces in Carrick-on-Suir. Last week, I received a reply to a parliamentary question informing me that the Gaelscoil in the town is scheduled to open a new ASD class. I am told this class is planned to open for the 2023-24 school year and is expected to provide an additional six places in the area. This is great news for Carrick-on-Suir and Tipperary. Will the Minister of State confirm this will be done? Will she tell the parents in the area who need these spaces what arrangements they must now make and when applications will be taken?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue, which is of significant importance to me as Minister of State with responsibility for special education. Enabling students with additional needs to find appropriate placements in the education system is an absolute priority for me and for the Government. When talking about children with addition needs, it is important to stress that 97% of them attend mainstream classes, with the remainder attending special classes or special schools.

The Deputy asked specifically about the provision of ASD classes. Before addressing the situation in County Tipperary, I will refer to the issue more generally. We have a budget of €2.6 billion this year solely dedicated to special education. This accounts for almost 27% of the entire education budget, which is up 10% on last year. The budget also made provision for the appointment of 686 extra special education teachers and 1,194 additional special needs assistants, SNAs. This means we now have 19,000 special education teachers and 20,000 SNAs. That amounts to 40,000 qualified and committed staff who are wholly and exclusively dedicated to supporting children with additional needs. This resourcing aspect is the first point to make. There is not and should not be an issue with resourcing and funding special classes. We have opened 2,537 special classes this year, comprising 1,798 at primary level and 739 at post-primary level. In addition, the NCSE has sanctioned 386 new special classes for this year. There is a significant increase in provision, which is clear when we recall that the total provision in 2011 was only 548.

Regarding ASD classes, it is important to put the issue in context. There was a prevalence rate of 1.55% in respect of the provision of classes. That has now increased to 3.11%, which means it has grown exponentially in the past few years. There must be provision for children with additional needs, particularly those with autism, which is the substance of the Deputy's question. In County Tipperary, there are 106 special classes, of which 71 are at primary level and 35 at post-primary level. Over the past three years, we have opened 21 new special classes in the county at primary level and 11 at post-primary level. The Deputy is correct that parents need some succour and comfort in knowing when their child will be eligible for a special class and when he or she has secured an appropriate placement in such a class.

We expect the NCSE will confirm where the new special classes at primary and post-primary level, including in County Tipperary, will be sanctioned over the coming weeks. This is in keeping with timelines in previous years. The issue the Deputy raised is timely in that we expect those decisions to be made in the coming weeks, at which point parents will be made aware of whether and where their children will get a place. If the Deputy is aware of a child who has not secured an appropriate placement, he can contact me directly on the matter.

Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein)
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Gabhaim buíochas leis an Aire Stáit. As I said, I appreciate the Department is under pressure on this issue, which arises every year. Every Deputy will have met the same problem. However, I do not get a sense that the Minister of State realises how serious this issue is for some families in certain places. When there are no special needs, parents can make plans from the time their child is in preschool for what primary school he or she will attend. For children who need an ASD class, parents have only a couple of months' notice on a yearly basis.

The process must be reviewed and it must be done in a much better way. I make no apologies for raising the situation in Carrick-on-Suir. However, it is not the only area in which parents are scrambling for spaces. I appreciate the Minister of State's indication that there will be extra classes in County Tipperary. She did not answer my question as to whether a class will be provided in the new Gaelscoil in Carrick-on-Suir, as indicated in the reply to my parliamentary question. Will she confirm whether the Gaelscoil will get the new class for the six students? Will she ensure the system is reviewed for the provision of the new places that are coming on line to ensure it will not involve parents having to scramble for places in the middle of the summer, with September on their mind for their children getting an education?

That is the biggest worry for many people. I will forward the case in Tipperary town that I mentioned to the Minister of State. I appreciate what has been done and what has been spent in the budget but it is still not enough for families that are struggling to find places for their children. Will she confirm that the Gaelscoil in Carrick-on-Suir that will get the extra ASD class?

Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael)
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There are 106 special classes in Tipperary at present. It is expected that the NCSE will announce and confirm over the coming weeks where new special classes will be created in the county. I am not at liberty to say whether it is the Gaelscoil or not because there is still ongoing negotiations and engagement with various schools, not just in Tipperary, but in other counties as well. I would not like to in any way influence the outcome of any ongoing conversations. The Deputy made an important point on forward planning and in his initial contribution he pointed to the fact that neurotypical children have perhaps been catered for in a way that neurodivergent children have not been by the education system as a whole. I do not disagree with that but that has radically changed, particularly over the past three years. The fact that we have been able to create more than 600 primary special classes, 300 at post-primary and five special schools over the past three years shows the level of engagement and that the initiatives we have brought forward are bearing fruit. We have a detailed review of statistical data that is ongoing. We also have improved data sharing arrangements. There is always an analysis of the accommodation capacity going on. A geographical information system from the planning and building unit now shares with the NCSE in real time where there is capacity and where there is not in a way that was not done in previous years. We now have future-proofing at post-primary level where all new 1,000-pupil capacity schools will automatically have four special classes, which is important. We have the modular accommodation framework and we also have a good deal of ongoing work with the fee charging sector as well.