Cecilia Keaveney (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 586: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in relation to the development of the cross-Border centre of excellence for autism in Armagh; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23559/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The joint launch last September by my predecessor and the Minister with responsibility for education in Northern Ireland of the Middletown Centre for Autism marked the successful completion of the purchase of the former St. Joseph's Adolescent Centre, Middletown, County Armagh, on behalf of the Department of Education in the North and the Department of Education and Science in the South. Both Departments plan to refurbish the property to meet the needs of a centre of excellence for children and young people with autism throughout the island of Ireland. The centre will be dedicated to improving and enriching the educational opportunities of children and young people with autistic spectrum disorders.

Four key services will be provided by the centre: a learning support service, on a residential basis; an educational assessment service, a training and advisory service; and an autism research and information service.

Since the launch, my officials have had a number of meetings with their counterparts in Northern Ireland regarding the further development of the centre. A number of working groups are continuing to address the legal, financial, organisational and infrastructural aspects of the proposal. For example, work is continuing on the development of a campus masterplan for the Middletown property which, when complete, will guide the commissioning of any necessary infrastructure and refurbishment works. At this stage it is anticipated that the centre will be operational by autumn 2006.