John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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71. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to increase the supply of ASD schools across the country; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24729/17]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department's policy is to promote a child-centred approach to education of all children with special educational needs, including those with autism, in school settings.

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.

My Department therefore provides for a continuum of provision which includes mainstream school placements with additional supports, or for pupils who require more specialist interventions, special school and special class placements.

This network includes 126 ASD early intervention classes, 526 primary ASD classes and 236 post-primary ASD classes in mainstream schools and 125 Special School of which 20 are ASD special schools.

My Department previously funded 13 centres through an ABA pilot scheme funded for the period 1999-2011.  All of these centres applied for and were granted provisional recognition as special schools for children with Autism Spectrum Disorders in 2010 and are currently being supported by my Department under a transitional agreement. These schools now form part of the network of specialised placements for students with ASD.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE), through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs), in consultation with the relevant education partners, is responsible for the establishment of special classes and special schools in various geographical areas where there is an identified need and continues to establish additional special classes to support children with Special Educational Needs including Autism as required.

Since 2011 the NCSE has increased the number of special classes by over 100% from 548 in 2011 to 1152 across the country in 2017, of which 888 are Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) special classes.

The NCSE, in looking to open special classes, must take into account the present and future potential need for such classes, taking particular account of the educational needs of the children concerned. The NCSE will also take account of location and sustainability in looking to establish special classes in certain areas. 

The NCSE has informed the Department that it intends to establish an additional 162 ASD Special Classes for the 2017/18 school year increasing the number of ASD Special Classes by 18% from 888 to 1,050. This will include 17 new ASD early intervention classes, 100 new primary ASD classes and 45 new post-primary ASD classes.