Catherine Noone (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I appreciate the Minister's response and the efforts being made by him and his Department. Clearly he is on top of what is happening in this area. I was contacted by a number of parents engaged in a campaign for this provision, of which I am sure he will be aware. The progress being made is heartening. I am not an expert on ASD, but if one in 65 children is on the spectrum, the chances of there being an ASD unit in a larger school must be significantly increased. I hope the NCSE will take account of areas where parents have to travel a great distance on a case by case basis. We are moving towards what these parents wish for and in that sense I am satisfied with the Minister's response. Perhaps it might be a little too much to move towards a scenario where there will be an ASD unit in each school. That may be over the top, but I am keen to ensure parents and children will not suffer because of their lack of proximity to a school with an ASD unit. Will the Minister clarify that this is at the forefront of the Department's mind when it comes to assessing individual cases?