James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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186. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills his plans to address waiting lists for primary schools in a town (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [29500/17]

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.

Almost 18,000 students in schools have been diagnosed with autism. The Department of Education and Skills invests over €300m annually in providing additional resources specifically to support students with autism in schools enabling:

- 63% of students to attend mainstream schools

- 26% to attend special classes in mainstream primary and post-primary schools, and

- 11% to attend special schools.

Some students, although academically able to access the curriculum in mainstream, may find it too difficult to manage full-time placement there. This can be due to significant difficulties in areas such as behaviour or sensory needs which have not been ameliorated, even with appropriate intervention, in mainstream.

Enrolment in an ASD special class should only be considered where it has been demonstrated that a student requires the support of a special class because he/she is unable to learn effectively in a mainstream class for most or all of the school day even with appropriate supports.

Students enrolling in ASD Special Classes must have a report from a relevant professional or team of professionals (for example, psychologist, speech and language therapist, psychiatrist) stating that:

- S/he has ASD, and that

- S/he has significant learning needs that require the support of a special class setting and the reasons why this is the case.

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.

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 will establish an additional 157 ASD Special Classes for the 2017/18 school year increasing the number of ASD Special Classes by 18% from 888 to 1,045. This will include 19 new ASD early intervention classes, 96 new primary ASD classes and 42 new post-primary ASD classes.

In relation to Co. Wexford, the NCSE has informed my Department that they are satisfied that there are sufficient ASD special class placements to meet existing demand in the schools referred to by the Deputy for the forthcoming school year and that they will continue to monitor demand and review the requirement for special class places in the area. 

The NCSE will establish an additional 6 ASD Special Classes for the 2017/18 school year in Co. Wexford including 1 new ASD early intervention classes, 3 new primary ASD classes and 2 new post-primary ASD classes, bringing the number of classes to 6 Early Intervention, 23 primary and 13 post-primary in 2017/18.

The enrolment of a child to a school is a matter, in the first instance, for the parents of the child and the Board of Management of a school. My Department has no role in relation to processing applications for enrolment to schools and it does not maintain details of waiting lists in schools.

Parents/guardians of children with special needs who may need advice or are experiencing difficulties in locating a school placement should contact their local Special Educational Needs Organiser (SENO) as soon as possible for information on available places. The local SENO contact details are available on www.ncse.ie.