Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 55: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she has received requests from parents or school authorities seeking provision of facilities to cater for children with autism in mainstream schools; the degree to which she expects to respond favourably to such requests in 2007; the number of such requests currently with her Department; the number of children in need of such facilities; if she expects to be in a position to meet all outstanding requirements in full in 2007 or otherwise; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [10799/07]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) was established under the Education for Persons with Special 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 Council 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.

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).

Further autism-specific classes will be established as and when required to meet the needs of the children concerned.