Josepha Madigan (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Seery Kearney for raising this important matter. She raises it consistently with me. She raised it last week and I did not answer because there were so many other questions that there was not enough time. I am delighted to have the opportunity today.

Enabling children with special educational needs to receive an education appropriate to their needs is a priority for this Government and always has been. I was very pleased to have secured agreement on a new special school on the site of Scoil Colm. This is a much-needed development which will help to meet the demand for special school places in the area, as the Senator said. Since my appointment I have met with a wide range of representative associations and advocates for the special education sector. All these groups, including Involve Autism, have raised very important issues as to how they consider that improvements can be made to special education services. Among these groups were local campaigners for a special school in Dublin 12 such as Involve Autism, whom I met along with Senator Seery Kearney and other public representatives. I pay tribute to the work of these campaigners for their dedication to this project and the educational welfare of young people in the area. We know there has been a need, as the Senator pointed out, for an additional special school in the area, and I was determined to take action to rectify this. By working closely with school authorities, the patron body, officials, public representatives and the NCSE, we secured agreement on the use of the site, and I was delighted to approve the establishment of the new school just before Christmas of last year.

The NCSE has identified that appropriate provision is currently required for approximately 40 special school places for students with autism and general learning disabilities in the south Dublin area. This provision is required to be made available from the beginning of this year, that is, the 2021-22 school year.While the initial provision of 40 placements is intended to provide for those students identified by the NCSE, it is also intended that the available places will be used to meet the needs of other children with complex needs in the area. The Senator's particular question was around what is happening at the moment. The arrangements for the establishment of the new school are in train in consultation with the school patron, the Archbishop of Dublin, and the NCSE, and further information will be provided in advance of the opening. The NCSE will determine the staffing level for the school in line with normal procedures. My Department will also consider whatever other supports, including funding and training, are necessary to ensure the school is in a position to cater for the needs of these students upon enrolment. I assure the Senator that the necessary arrangements are being progressed as speedily as possible.

This new school will be a positive addition to the local area and we will ensure it is fully supported. We hope to open the school in September. If there is any possibility of doing so prior to that, we will certainly try but it will be open by September. The building does need to be prepared and teachers recruited. As I said, there is ongoing work with the NCSE around that. I am struck by what the Senator said about autism not being limited to a demographic. Indeed it is not and there are other areas around the country where special schools are required, and we always try to collaborate with existing schools to see if there is a way of expanding those schools. If not, we will always build special schools. I was very pleased that one of the first commitments I secured as a dedicated Minister of State for this area was a commitment from the building and planning area that from this year all new schools will automatically provide SEN facilities and classrooms. That is going to be important into the future so we do not have this issue happening perennially.