Eugene Murphy (Roscommon-Galway, Fianna Fail)
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146. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the reason a person (details supplied) with an autism spectrum disorder diagnosis who received a satisfactory service with the Roscommon early intervention team in their first year of primary school has now been left unsupported in their school setting with an inadequate response from the Galway-Roscommon ASD service and a lack of school-based services and advocacy; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29671/16]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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The availability and provision of health-related therapy services, including speech and language, occupational therapy and sensory therapy support, is the responsibility of the Health Service Executive (HSE), and matters in relation to the provision of such services should be directed to the Minister for Health through the Health Service Executive. The Department has no responsibility or mandate for such services.

The HSE, which has statutory responsibility for the management and delivery of health and personal social services, is currently engaged in a reconfiguration of existing health related therapy resources for children with complex needs, into multi-disciplinary geographically based teams as part of its National Programme on Progressing Disability Services for Children and Young People (0-18 years).

The aim of this programme is to achieve a national, unified approach to delivering disability health services so that there is a clear pathway to services for all children, regardless of where they live, what school they go to or the nature of their disability.

The education sector, which is working very closely with Health, is fully involved in the development of the Programme, to ensure that, from the children's and parents' perspective, the services provided by each sector are integrated, in so far as is possible.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for Partnership Government includes a commitment to introduce a new in-school speech and language service and to increase the number of HSE speech and language therapists by some 25% over current numbers.

Officials of my Department will meet counterparts in the Departments of Health, Children and Youth Affairs and the HSE in the coming weeks to further consider the proposals and to progress the development of an implementation plan to give effect to the commitment.

My Department provides a range of supports for schools which have enrolled pupils with special educational needs in order to ensure that, wherever a child is enrolled, they will have access to an appropriate education.

The range of supports and services which are made available include additional learning and resource teaching support, Special Needs Assistant (SNA) support, funding for the purchase of specialised equipment, services of the National Educational Psychological Service (NEPS), enhanced levels of capitation in Special schools and Special Classes and additional teacher training.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENO), for allocating resource teachers and Special Needs Assistants (SNAs) to schools to support students with special educational needs, including autism. The NCSE operates within the Department's criteria in allocating such support.

The NCSE also provides information for Parents of Children with Special Education Needs through its website (www.ncse.ie) and Pamphlet Series which inform parents and guardians of supports and services available for children and young people with ASD and their families.

Also, for children with autism, the school year is extended to include the month of July. This is commonly referred to as 'the July Provision Programme'. This is typically delivered in the child's school, but where the school is not in a position to deliver this, it can be provided as home tuition.

My Department supports the professional development of staff working with children with special educational needs, including those with Autism, through the Special Education Support Service (SESS).

Further support is provided to children and their families by the Middletown Centre for Autism in Co. Armagh. This centre is jointly funded by my Department and the Department of Education in Northern Ireland. The Centre provides a comprehensive nationwide training service for parents and educational professionals. Parents can view the range of courses which the Centre has available through the website www.middletownautism.com.