Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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148. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of schools here that operate withdrawal or timeout rooms for children with autism; and his plans to regulate and monitor the use of them. [2339/14]

Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Schools should supervise and support children who are distressed or out of control until they have recovered and are able to re-engage in the classroom.

Schools withdraw pupils occasionally from the main classroom for short periods of time in order to provide such support. Such rooms may not be designated and it is therefore not possible to say how many such rooms are in schools.

The Board of Management of each school is responsible for the care and safety of all of the pupils in their school. Where a parent or any other person has concerns about the care or safety of a child they should report these concerns to the Board of Management of the school, or may report the matter as a child protection concern to the HSE or to my Department.

I have asked the NCSE to advise on this issue as part of their policy advice on education for children with Autism.