Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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89. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to ensure adequate places in schools in County Cork for those children on the autism spectrum. [16706/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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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.

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 communities where the need for such classes has been identified.

Special classes are part of a continuum of educational provision that enables students with more complex special educational needs to be educated, in smaller class groups, within their local mainstream schools and are for students who have a recommendation for a special class placement in their professional reports.

Students enrolled in special classes should be included in mainstream classes to the greatest extent possible, in line with their abilities.

There are 13 Special Schools in Cork city and county. Special Schools funded by my Department are intended to cater for children and young persons with special educational needs from 4 years until the end of the school year in which they reach their 18th year.

Special Schools are staffed in accordance with arrangements set out in my Department's Circular 0042/2011, which provides for enhanced pupil teacher ratios for pupils attending Special Schools ranging from 6-1, to 12-1, on the basis of disability categorisation of pupils attending the school.

Many special schools now enrol students from disability categories other than from those provided for by their school designations.

There are currently 1,153 special classes nationally, which is an increase of over 100% on the number available in 2011. Of these, 127 are ASD early intervention classes, 525 are primary ASD classes and 237 are post-primary ASD classes. The remainder are non-ASD special classes.

With regard to Cork City and County, there are 145 ASD special classes. Of these, 24 are ASD early intervention classes, 80 are primary ASD classes and 41 are post-primary ASD classes.

The NCSE, in consultation with the relevant education partners, must take into account the present and future potential need, location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas.  In this regard the NCSE has advised that they are continuing to engage with schools in opening special classes where there is an identified need for special class provision and in order to ensure there are sufficient placements available to meet demand.

Parents/guardians may contact their local SENO directly to discuss their child's special educational needs and to seek assistance in identifying placement options, using the contact details available on www.ncse.ie.