Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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74. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in west County Dublin diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder who are leaving primary school and require a secondary school place. [38123/18]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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75. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children in west County Dublin diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in receipt of home school grants; and the annual cost of same. [38124/18]

Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity)
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76. To ask the Minister for Education and Skills the number of children with autism spectrum disorder who are either on reduced hours or excluded from school; and the number in west County Dublin. [38125/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 74 to 76, inclusive, together.

This government is committed to ensuring every child with special educational needs has the opportunity to fulfil their full potential.

In 2018, almost €1.8 billion will be invested in Special Education, nearly one fifth of the overall Education budget, and up 43% since 2011.

The Department's policy is to provide for the inclusive education of children with special educational needs, including Autism (ASD), in mainstream school settings, unless such a placement would not be in the best interests of the child concerned, or the children with whom they will be educated.

The NCSE policy advice on Supporting Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder (2016) noted that there were almost 18,000 students diagnosed with autism in schools. This indicates a national ASD prevalence rate of 1.55% or 1 in every 65 students.

The greater proportion of children with ASD attend mainstream class, where they may access additional supports if required.

Some students with ASD, although academically able to access the curriculum in mainstream, may find it too difficult to manage full-time placement there and placement in an ASD special class is an option for them.

Special school placements are provided for other students with ASD and very complex special needs who wouldn’t manage in a mainstream school even for part of the week.

The National Council for Special Education (NCSE) which is a separate 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 responsible, through its network of Special Needs Organisers, for the development and delivery and co-ordination of education services to children with Special Educational Needs, including the establishment of special class and special school placements.

Since 2011, the NCSE has increased the number of such classes by over 130% from 548 in 2011 to 1,456 across the country now, of which 1,192 are Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) special classes. This network includes 129 ASD early intervention classes, 742 primary ASD classes and 321 post-primary ASD classes in mainstream schools.

There are 37 special schools and 235 special classes attached to mainstream schools in Dublin. Of these, 17 are ASD early intervention classes, 138 are primary ASD classes and 40 are post primary ASD classes. The number of ASD special classes in Co. Dublin have increased from 66 in 2011/2012 to 195 in 2017/2018.

The NCSE is aware of emerging need from year to year in Dublin, and where special provision is required it is planned and established to meet that need. I have arranged for the Deputy's question on emerging need to be forwarded to the NCSE for their attention and direct reply.

My Department continues to work with the NCSE to ensure that there is appropriate planning in place to ensure that all children who require special class placements can access such placements in schools within their communities.

All children must be enrolled in the primary school system, whether through placement in mainstream classes, in special classes or in special schools in the September prior to their sixth birthday.

Where there is no placement available for a child with Special Educational Needs, my Department will consider applications under the Home Tuition Grant Scheme, where a student can receive up to 20 hours home tuition per week as an interim measure until a placement becomes available.

Applications can be made at any point of the school year, based on when the child receives a diagnosis and recommendation for a specialised placement.

The Home Tuition Grant Scheme also makes provision for early educational intervention for children with ASD aged 3 – 5 years seeking an early intervention placement who meet the scheme’s criteria.

Over the course of the 2017/18 school year, 60 children with special education needs over the age of 6 availed of this interim provision (20 in Co. Dublin).

Over the course of the 2017/18 school year, 804 children aged 3-5 years of age availed of home tuition provision. (330 in Co. Dublin).

Statistics for the current school year are not readily available. While the scheme has commenced, Statistics have yet to emerge as the Department has only begun to receive applications under the 2018/19 scheme.

The cost of providing funding for 1 child towards the provision of 20 hours home tuition per week during the 2017/18 school year was approx. €31,000 per annum.

The NCSE also works in collaboration with the Educational Welfare Services (EWS) of the Child and Family Agency which is the statutory agency that can assist parents who are experiencing difficulty in securing a school place for their child or can offer assistance where a child is out of school. The local service is delivered through the national network of Educational Welfare Officers (EWO). Contact details are available at .

Circular 11/95 and the Rules for National Schools provide that the minimum length of the normal full school day at primary level comprises of a period of not less than 5 hours and forty minutes (www).

The Rules for National Schools also provide that pupils in infant classes may have a school day that is one hour shorter than the length of the normal school day.

It is a matter for the Board of Management of a particular school to decide whether this concession should be applied in the case of its school. If pupils in infant classes are being given a shorter day, their parents should be notified accordingly and invited to collect them at time of dismissal.

Where the implementation of the shorter day for pupils in infant classes may cause issues for some parents, the Department would encourage school authorities to engage with parents locally with a view to arriving at a mutually acceptable resolution.

The Department does not support the position of any school which may take a unilateral decision to shorten the school day for any pupil, irrespective of whether the pupil may have a special educational need or not. It is the position of the Department that all school children are entitled to participate fully in their school. If there are reasons why an earlier finishing time should be applied in the case of any child, any such arrangements should be agreed with the parents of the child in advance of their implementation.

As per the EWS guidelines on a code of behaviour, suspending a child for part of a school day (or reducing their hours without the parent’s agreement to do this) is considered a suspension.

If a child is suspended like this for more than 20 school days in a school year, the parent can decide to take a Section 29 appeal if they wish.

My Department does not hold information on specifics of special needs for parents taking appeals under Section 29 and accordingly the figures requested by the Deputy in relation to the number of children with Autism that may be either on reduced hours or excluded from school is not readily available.