Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 689: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if payment will be made immediately for 30 hours per week of home tuition consisting of intensive applied behaviour analytic programming for a person (details supplied) in Dublin 5; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22155/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Ten hours per week home tuition has been sanctioned for the child in question with effect from September 2005. This decision was conveyed to the parents recently. The allocation is the maximum number of hours available. My Department is undertaking a review of the home tuition scheme and the outcome of the review will assist my Department in devising procedures-guidelines for processing applications for home tuition grants. These procedures-guidelines will be published on my Department's website in due course.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 690: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will give comprehensive details regarding the services organised by her Department for the education of autistic children; the way in which these services are accessed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22156/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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Every effort is made to ensure that children with special educational needs receive an education appropriate to their needs. Decisions regarding the most appropriate model of response in each particular case are based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child. Current provision for pupils with autism includes 146 special classes for children with autism attached to special schools and mainstream schools; 14 pre-school classes for children with autism; ten autism facilities, some of which are providing an applied behavioural analysis model of response to children with autism and five special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome have been created. All such classes operate at a pupil teacher ratio of 6:1 with the support of a minimum of two special needs assistants.

The level of resource teaching support provided for pupils with autism attending mainstream primary schools is based on the professionally assessed needs of the individual child. In general, such pupils would be eligible for five hours resource teaching support. In addition, my Department sanctions home tuition grants for children with autism for whom a home-based applied behavioural analysis programme is considered appropriate or in cases where such children are awaiting an appropriate school placement.

The Deputy will be aware that with effect from 1 January 2005 the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, has taken over responsibility for processing resource applications for children with disabilities who have special educational needs and, in particular, it is responsible for deciding on applications for resource teaching hours in respect of children with low incidence disabilities with special educational needs at primary level; deciding on applications for additional teaching support in respect of children with disabilities with special educational needs at second level; deciding on applications for special needs assistant hours.

Under the new arrangements, the council, through the local special educational needs organiser, SENO, will process the relevant application for resources and inform the school of the outcome. In the case of decisions on resource teaching and SNAs, the SENO will outline the process to the school and parents, where appropriate, and will at the end of the process outline the basis on which the decision was made.

The advent of the NCSE will prove of major benefit in ensuring that all children with special educational needs, including those in the area referred to by the Deputy, receive the support they require, when and where they require it. My Department is continuing to prioritise the development of the network of special educational provision for children with special needs, including those with autism, and the steps taken in recent years and those currently in hand represent significant progress in the development of those services.

Seán Haughey (Dublin North Central, Fianna Fail)
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Question 691: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will provide more funding for Cabas in order that it can expand its services for the education of autistic children; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [22157/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department provides funding for three Cabas facilities in Cork, Dublin Kilbarrack and Drogheda. Cabas Cork has recently been sanctioned additional funding to provide for an increased enrolment from 30 children to 32 and funding has been allocated to provide for the additional staffing required. Cabas Kilbarrack has been sanctioned to expand from 24 children to 30. The funding allocation for the 2005-06 school year for Cork and Dublin will represent an increase on the 2004-05 allocation to take into account the additional resources required to fund the expansion of these facilities. My Department has given approval for a Cabas facility for south Dublin. This additional provision for children on the autistic spectrum is due to open in the 2005-06 school year.