Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress that has been made in approving the project to establish a new school under the applied behaviour system on Dublin's northside which was the subject of an adjournment debate granted to this Deputy during the last Dáil session; and the steps that remain to be taken to achieve the establishment of the school. [33630/06]

Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 331: To ask the Minister for Education and Science the progress to date on the application for the establishment of the ACORN ABA school for autistic children on the northside of Dublin. [33831/06]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 301 and 331 together.

The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably through the primary and post primary school network.

My Department supports an eclectic approach to the education of children with autism where a range of teaching methods can be applied specific to the needs of individual pupils. The Deputy will be familiar with the variety of current provision in this regard which includes pre-school classes for children with autism, special classes for children with autism attached to special schools and mainstream schools, special classes for Asperger's syndrome plus a range of supports for pupils with autism integrated in mainstream classes. All the children proposed for this centre are currently in receipt of an educational provision.

The application from this centre is being considered in the context of all such applications.