Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 383: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Education and Skills the new provisions she intends to make to address the educational needs in full of children with Aspergers, Autism, ADD and ADHD; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34010/10]

Mary Coughlan (Donegal South West, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware of my Department's commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with special needs, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs.

Children with special educational needs, including the specific conditions mentioned by the Deputy, have a range of placement options available to them. Many pupils with special needs, including those mentioned by the Deputy, attend mainstream schools alongside their peers. Depending on the extent of their special educational need, these pupils may receive support from the school's Learning Support teacher and/or additional tuition hours provided by a Resource teacher. In addition, schools with pupils enrolled who have significant care needs, can apply for additional support through the Special Needs Assistant scheme.

Other pupils with special educational needs attend a special class attached to a mainstream school while some pupils attend a special school. These pupils are supported through lower pupil teacher ratios and, where necessary, special needs assistants. The Deputy will be aware that the expansion in the network of autism-specific special classes in schools has been a key priority in recent years. My Department also funds assistive technology and/or specialist equipment and special school transport arrangements for pupils with special educational needs.

The Deputy will also be aware that the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), for allocating supports to schools to support children with special educational needs. Schools, which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs that are eligible for such support, apply to the NCSE for the allocation of the necessary resources.