Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 253: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received communications from school authorities, boards of management or parents groups in regard to the provision of the necessary facilities to meet the requirements of children with autism; the extent to which she has responded favourably to such requests; her intended response in the future; if she expects all such matters to be resolved prior to the beginning of the 2007/08 school year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11018/07]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 265: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if her attention has been drawn to the children with autism currently requiring teaching facilities throughout County Kildare; her plans to meet such requirements in full in view of the obvious availability of resources; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11032/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I propose to take Questions Nos. 253 and 265 together.

The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act (EPSEN) to improve the delivery of education services to persons with special educational needs arising from disabilities with particular emphasis on children. Since it was established in 2005, the NCSE has been responsible for allocating resources for children with special educational needs. The NCSE has a key role in the delivery of services and operates through a network of special educational needs organisers (SENOs) who act as a focal point of contact for schools and parents. The role of the SENO would include the processing of applications from schools to establish special classes for autism and correspondence to my Department in this regard would be directed to the NCSE. I can assure the Deputy that the NCSE will continue to establish classes for children with autism as and where required.

My Department, in conjunction with the NCSE, has established: 182 Special Classes for children with autism, attached to special and mainstream schools; 5 special Classes for children with Asperger's Syndrome; 18 early intervention provision for children on the autistic spectrum; and 14 Stand Alone facilities providing an Applied Behavioural Analysis (ABA) specific methodology on a pilot basis (2 of these facilities have yet to be established).