Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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129. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the funding that has been allocated to schools in north County Dublin by catchment area for the provision of ASD units; the amount of this funding that has been drawn down by school; the amount each school will spend in the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18616/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department’s policy is that children with special educational needs including those with autism, should be included in mainstream placements with additional supports provided, unless such a placement would not be in their best interests or in the interests of the children with whom they are to be educated, as is provided for under Section 2 of the Education of Persons with Special Needs Act 2004. The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible for approving special classes, including ASD classes.

With regard to Co. Dublin in particular, there are 37 special schools and 218 special classes attached to mainstream schools. Of these, 18 are ASD early intervention classes, 124 are primary ASD classes and 36 are post primary ASD classes. The number of ASD special classes in Co. Dublin have increased from 66 in 2011/2012 to 178 in 2017/2018.

Where the NCSE approves an ASD class in a mainstream school, it is open to the school in question to submit an application for additional accommodation to my Department should there be a deficit of accommodation in the school.

I also wish to advise the Deputy that it is general practice to include a Special Needs Unit (SNUs) in the accommodation brief for new school buildings, unless local circumstances indicate that it will not be required.

In this regard, the provision of such units may form part of the overall project brief that also includes other accommodation for a school. Therefore, it is not possible to isolate the costs associated specifically for these units. Furthermore, given the site specific issues that may arise during the statutory process and construction stages it is not possible to specify the level of expenditure for the coming years.

I am pleased to advise the Deputy that my Department has set out on its website details of projects approved, including projects in North County Dublin, under the Additional School Accommodation Scheme atwww.education.ie– Building Works.

Louise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein)
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130. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the funding allocated to a school (details supplied) for the provision of an ASD unit has not been spent; the reason these funds have not been utilised; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18617/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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My Department provides for a range of placement options and supports for schools, which have enrolled students with special educational needs, in order to ensure that wherever a child is enrolled, s/he will have access to an appropriate education.

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 130 ASD early intervention classes, 641 primary ASD classes and 277 post-primary ASD classes in mainstream schools and 125 Special Schools.

ASD Early Intervention classes are available for children aged 3-5 with a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Early intervention classes are intended to provide early support for children with ASD before they start school. Following early intervention, children will attend a mainstream class unless there is professional guidance that they require a special class or a placement in a special school.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which is an independent statutory body, plans and co-ordinates the provision of education and support services to children with special educational needs, in consultation with the relevant education partners and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The NCSE is aware of emerging need in North Dublin, and where special provision, including special class provision, is required, it is planned and established to meet that need. This process is ongoing.

The school referred to by the Deputy includes a 2 classroom Special Needs Unit (SNU) in which it currently operates 2 ASD Early Intervention classes. The NCSE has informed my Department that they have agreed in principle to this school establishing additional Primary ASD Special Classes subject to accommodation being available. They have also advised that the school is in the process of submitting an application to my Department for capital funding to (i) re-configure existing spaces within the school building to accommodate the classes or (ii) to construct additional accommodation.

My Department has also provided a new 2 classroom Special Needs Unit in Scoil Chormaic, CNS, Balbriggan. The NCSE are currently engaging with the school in relation to establishing ASD primary classes for the forthcoming school year.

The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 was published on 6 July 2016. During the Committee Stage debate of the School Admissions Bill, I outlined my intention to include a provision that will provide, based on reports and advice from the NCSE, a power for the Minister to require a school to open a special class or increase the number of special classes in schools identified by the NCSE.

My Department officials are currently engaging with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel on the development of legislative proposals on this matter which they hope to bring forward to Government for approval.

The NCSE will continue to work with schools, parents, NEPS, health professionals and other staff who are involved in the provision of services in the areas referred to by the Deputy for children with special educational needs, to ensure that each child has a placement appropriate to their needs for the 2018/19 school year.