Brendan Griffin (Kerry South, Fine Gael)
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755. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the position regarding the provision of autism supports for secondary school students; her views that more needs to be done to put supports in place in mainstream secondary settings; her further views that while autism units are in place in mainstream primary schools, very few similar facilities exist in secondary schools; the facilities that are available in County Kerry; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [11079/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
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This Government is committed to ensuring that all children with Special Educational Needs, including those with autism, can have access to an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings through the primary and post primary school network.

Such placements facilitate access to individualised education programmes which may draw from a range of appropriate educational interventions, delivered by fully qualified professional teachers, with the support of special needs assistants and the appropriate school curriculum.

Young people with autism transitioning from primary school placements have a number of alternative options including mainstream placement in post-primary school with support, placement in a special class in a mainstream school or placement in a special class in a special school.

Special Classes in mainstream schools are intended for children who, by virtue of their level of Special Educational Needs, cannot reasonably be educated in a mainstream class setting, but who can still attend their local school in a special class with a lower pupil–teacher ratio and SNA support.

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 resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support students with Special Educational Needs, including Autism. It is also the role of the NCSE to make appropriate arrangements to establish special classes in schools in various geographical areas as required.

SENOs actively engage with schools annually in order to plan for, and to open, new special classes each year in order to ensure there are sufficient special class placements available at primary and post-primary school level to meet demand in a given area.

The number of classes at post-primary level is growing annually. The total number of special classes for children with Autism in mainstream schools throughout the country at the end of 2014 was 626 of which 152 were in post-primary schools.

SENOs have been working with local schools on a national basis over the past number of months to plan and establish special classes for children with SEN who require such placements for 2015/2016. This work is ongoing in some counties and SENOs continue to liaise and work with schools in order to meet the demand for such placements at local level.

Details of the current classes in Co. Kerry are available on the NCSE website www.NCSE.ie. However I have arranged for the Deputy's request on detail of provision in the county to be forwarded to the NCSE for their direct attention and reply as they can update the Deputy once the position on new classes for 2015/2016 is established.