Darragh O'Brien (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)
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Question 164: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if she will assist in the placement of a person (details supplied) in County Dublin. [4273/08]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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I wish to advise the Deputy that the matter of the enrolment of a pupil in a school including a special class is a matter for the Board of Management of the school and my Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment by schools.

As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for the establishment of special classes for autism and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. The NCSE will continue to establish additional autism classes where the need arises in both special schools and mainstream schools. Parents may also contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie. I have arranged for the details supplied by the Deputy to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.