Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)
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Question 463: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the position in regard to the proposal from ACORN ABA school to establish a unit on Dublin's northside for 12 autistic children to provide for one-to-one education in order to provide for early intervention for autistic children; the position regarding the proposal submitted some time ago to her Department; the outcome of discussions between the NCSE and her Department in respect of this matter; if funding been allocated to this proposal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8099/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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My Department has received a further report from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE, on the application in question. This is currently being considered and my officials will revert to the NCSE if further information is required. My officials will notify all relevant parties when a decision on the application has been made.

I am most anxious that all children, including children with autistic spectrum disorders, receive an education appropriate to their needs. It is in recognition of this that my Department currently provides the following facilities for the education of children with autism: 159 special classes for children with autism, attached to special and mainstream schools; 15 pre-school classes; five special classes for children with Asperger's syndrome; 12 stand-alone facilities providing an applied behavioural analysis, ABA, specific methodology.

Many of the children being proposed for the unit in question are currently in existing autism specific provision.