Seán Kyne (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Cathaoirleach's office for selecting this matter for debate. I congratulate the Minister of State, Deputy Carroll MacNeill, on her well-deserved appointment. I know she will do a tremendous job.

Ábalta Special School is a day school based in Parkmore in Galway for students with autism and complex associated needs. Students in the school range in age from four to 18. There is a multidisciplinary team of teachers and therapists delivering educational programmes tailored to the needs of each student as well as supporting those students and their families. There are individualised teaching programmes with a high staff-to-student ratio. There are intensive occupational therapy interventions by the school's occupational therapist. Communication programmes are delivered by the school's speech and language therapist consultant and community integration is fostered for students through mainstream integration programmes in a local school as well as community linkages with local industry for older students. There is a range of child-centred, evidence-based educational programmes strongly focused on helping children with autism reach their individual potential.

Autism Ireland is the patron of the Ábalta school and the ethos is around child-centred, evidence-based intervention, individualised teaching, parental involvement and professional respect. It is a multi-denominational, coeducational school. The school is guided by the tenet that every child with autism has a right to an education, one that is grounded in scientific evidence of efficacy. It is committed to ensuring the safety and well-being of students at all times and to recognising each child as an individual, appreciating his or her unique personalities. It believes all parents should take an active role in their child's educational future, thus they are invited to participate in planning their children's educational programme. The school strives to create a positive educational environment for its students and respects the right to privacy for all children and families at Ábalta.

Ábalta Special School has lodged an application with the Department of Education for a school, to relocate the school to the Kilcornan campus in Clarinbridge. I thank the Minister of State with responsibility for special education, Deputy Madigan, who attended a stakeholders' meeting before Christmas. She met with the principal, a number of parents and advocates for the Ábalta school and other schools in the area. The present school building was not purpose-built. I believe it was previously a Montessori or crèche. Ábalta moved in and adapted the building as best it could.

Parents travel long distances, including from outside Galway county and city, to attend the school. The school does a wonderful job but the building is not purpose-built and a new purpose-built building is needed. An application has been made for Kilcornan campus in Clarinbridge, which is a wonderful wooded location. It would provide the quietness that is needed. It would also provide much more outdoor space for the sensory activity that is required as well.

I visited the school a number of years ago and, to my shame, things have not progressed. It is vital that the new site is identified and supported by the Department and that the school be allowed to progress to build a new school at this site. It would be a wonderful improvement on the existing facilities. It is clear that the school does wonderful things.The school has a strong ethos of individualised training in terms of speech and language therapy and occupational therapy. Distance is not a problem as parents travel to the school from as far away as outside of Galway, which is a big county, into Galway City to avail of the services. I would like the Department to progress the application.