Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

822. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who are attending mainstream primary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20034/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

823. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who are attending mainstream secondary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20035/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

828. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20040/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

829. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20041/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

834. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20046/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

835. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Down's syndrome who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20047/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 822, 823, 828, 829, 834 and 835 together.

All children with Down's syndrome had previously been entitled to receive additional teaching support either through the General Allocation systems, if the child had mild general learning difficulties, or if they had an additional low incidence disability, as set out in my Departments Circular 02/05, through an additional allocation to schools by the National Council for Special Education (NCSE).

The Deputy will be aware that I recently announced that additional resources will be allocated to schools, as an interim measure, to support those children with Down syndrome, who are not already supported through the (NCSE) low incidence resource teaching annual allocation process.

As Down's syndrome had not previously been designated as a distinct category for resource allocation purposes, it is not possible to state the number of children who have been diagnosed with Down's syndrome who are attending main stream education this year, or the number who attended mainstream schools in previous years.

On introducing the recently announced new measure, I advised that this measure was being introduced in recognition of the length of time it will take to introduce the new resource teacher allocation model and also in recognition of the fact that children with Down syndrome may experience a cluster of difficulties relating to this syndrome, in addition to general learning difficulties, including speech and language developmental delays.

Under the interim measure schools will receive 2.5 resource teacher hours per week for each qualifying child.

This new allocation means there will now be certainty regarding the provision which will be made for children with Down's syndrome with a Mild General Learning Difficulty.

The National Council for Special Education's (NCSE) has advised that 165 valid applications have been received from schools to date, in respect of children with Down syndrome, not already supported through the NCSE annual allocation process. However, the allocation process for the 2015/16 school year has not concluded and additional applications may also be received under any second round application process.

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

824. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who are attending mainstream primary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20036/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

825. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who are attending mainstream secondary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20037/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

826. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who are attending mainstream primary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20038/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

827. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who are attending mainstream secondary schools this year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20039/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

830. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20042/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

831. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20043/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

832. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20044/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

833. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2010; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20045/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

836. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20048/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

837. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with autism who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20049/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

838. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who were attending mainstream primary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20050/15]

Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

839. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome who were attending mainstream secondary schools in 2005; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [20051/15]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick City, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 824 to 827, inclusive, 830 to 833, inclusive, and 836 to 839, inclusive, together.

I wish to advise the Deputy that, while there is not a distinct disability category of Asperger's syndrome for resource allocation purposes, such children are generally supported through the resourcing mechanisms which are in place for supporting children with Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

The statutory obligations in relation to the provision of educational services for children and young adults with special educational needs including those with a clinical diagnosis of Autism and Asperger's syndrome are primarily set out under the Education Act (1998) and the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs (EPSEN) Act 2004.

My Department's policy is focused on ensuring that all children, 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.

The policy is to provide for children with special educational needs, including autism, to be included in mainstream schools unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated. Some children may be supported in a special class attached to a mainstream school. These students have the option, where appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils. Other children may have such complex needs that they are best placed in a special school.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is currently preparing Policy Advice on the Educational Provision for Children with Autism. The NCSE has advised my Department that the Policy Advice will be delivered shortly.

I expect that the NCSE final report will reflect the broadest possible range of views and provide recommendations which will assist the development of policy for future years.

The information sought by the Deputy in relation to the number of children diagnosed with Asperger's that were/are attending mainstream primary and secondary schools is not available.

Information on the number of children diagnosed with Autism that were attending mainstream primary and secondary schools in 2005 and 2010 is not readily available, but I will arrange for the National Council for Special Education to respond directly to the Deputy with this data.

The number of children diagnosed with Autism that are attending mainstream settings in primary and secondary schools in 2014/15 school year is 5,793 at primary level and 2,946 at post-primary level. In addition, there are 2,585 children with Autism in special classes in mainstream schools.