Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 12 Feb 2008

Vol. 646 No. 4

Special Educational Needs: Motion.

Deputy Brian Hayes

I move:

"That Dáil Éireann:

accepting that the current system of assessment for children with autism is inadequate;

noting the co-author of the report of the Government taskforce on autism has suggested the Department of Education and Science policy on education for autistic children is misguided;

considering that the lack of a suitable appeals process leaves parents with no option other than to pursue education services for their children through the courts;

acknowledging the Government's delay in implementing the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 — EPSEN — to provide appropriate education services for children with special needs;

noting the Government's refusal to change its policy to consider funding for new applied behavioural analysis, ABA, centres despite a clear demand for ABA services countrywide; and

considering the Government's failure to improve co-ordination between education and health services in supporting children with special needs despite promises in the programme for Government 2007 to do so;

calls on the Government to:

lay any evidence before the House which supports the suggestion that the current system of education provision for autistic children is suitable for all children, even those with moderate to severe autism who have been recommended one-to-one attention;

make specific education services available to autistic children where it has been recommended by psychologists, without delay;

introduce the outstanding provisions of the EPSEN Act 2004 according to the NCSE's proposed timescale for implementation;

commit to funding the existing 12 ABA centres in their current format;

expand the current ABA pilot scheme of 12 centres to accommodate other projects of a similar nature where they are needed;

recognise the qualifications of psychologists currently working in ABA centres;

honour its programme for Government commitment and institute an appeals system without further delay;

ensure speech and language therapy and behavioural therapy is made available to all schools with autistic children in attendance; and

immediately move to enhance co-operation between the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children to ensure children with special needs receive adequate support in all aspects of their lives from an early age.

I wish to share my time with Deputies Seán Barrett, Ulick Burke, John O'Mahony and James Reilly.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

In that order?

Deputy Brian Hayes

Yes.

One of the great joys of being a parent is the moment one's child goes to school. Finally, one's five-year-old can take his or her first steps into the unknown where new things are learned and new friends are made. It is a moment of great independence in the life of a child and one of great joy in the life of parents. It is marked out by excitement when every day one's child comes home with something new and different to tell one. That wonderful experience, thankfully, is the case for the vast majority of parents in this country where young children take their place in an education system that is modern, caring and, in the main, well-resourced.

What about those children who are not so fortunate? What support do we offer them and their parents? It is not an exaggeration to say that the range of supports offered to children with special educational needs in this country is nothing short of scandalous. Despite new legislation, many commitments, new funding and promises of better co-ordination between Departments, we are still a long way short of what needs to be provided.

By far the most important thing we need is a new approach by the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin. It is not too late for the Minister to start listening and stop hectoring parents on this issue. It is not too late for the Minister to show the kind of flexibility and imagination that her predecessors, the Ministers, Deputy Noel Dempsey and Deputy Micheál Martin, showed during their time in Marlborough Street. I know that Fianna Fáil backbenchers are sick of the "it's my way or no way" attitude that the current Minister for Education and Science deploys when dealing with this issue and so many other aspects of education. Those same backbenchers will have a chance to have their voices heard tonight and tomorrow night.

I want this debate to focus on the needs of parents with autistic children. Nobody is suggesting that the applied behavioural analysis, ABA, model is the only model for children with autism. ABA is one of a number of educational approaches used for children with autism. It has proven to be an extraordinarily effective method for many autistic children, with many eventually moving on to mainstream schooling.

The autism-specific classes the Minister is now establishing may well provide the kind of educational environment for children with a range of special needs. Nobody is suggesting otherwise but what about those children who have been assessed as needing a more intensive one-to-one approach away from the mainstream schooling? That is currently not on offer by the Minister or her Department. She is implacably opposed to a more flexible arrangement whereby those ABA schools which are currently outside the existing pilot schools would be recognised formally within the education sector.

Parents want the best for their children. The parents of autistic children have to fight every step of the way to obtain justice for their children. Despite the bullying and tut-tutting by the Minister and her Department, parents rightly demand the most suitable and effective model of education that meets their children's needs.

A child currently attending an ABA school spends on average six and a half hours a day within that school. This compares to the four and a half daily hours of attendance in an autism-specific class. ABA schools operate on average 230 days a year compared to the 183 days in the context of the model proposed by the Minister. The ABA system is based on one tutor to each child, while the Minister offers one teacher and two special needs assistants to six children in her preferred model.

If I was the parent of a child with autism and saw remarkable changes in my child as a result of ABA tuition, I would have no hesitation in demanding that my child remained within that system because that is the best system to meet his or her specific needs.

The Minister needs to answer a number of questions in the context of this debate. How many teachers currently involved in teaching ABA and other methods in mainstream schools are trained to the appropriate level? How many teachers have received any training in ABA? Is it true that only a handful of teachers have received one 60-hour training session in order to equip them with the necessary skills to teach autistic children? What training does an special needs assistant have to deal with an autistic child?

The current system of assessment for children with autism is completely inadequate. It is estimated that the waiting list is somewhere between 18 months and two years. Given that all the scientific evidence points to the fact that early intervention is vital in terms of helping an autistic child reach his or her full potential, many children are missing out on treatment and tuition in their early stages of life and are at a disadvantage from the beginning.

The Department has provided ABA funding for 12 centres that have been up and running for several years but has refused to extend it to 12 other applicant schools, including three existing ABA schools which are funded independently by parents pooling together their home tuition allowance and making extraordinary commitments to fund raise on an annual basis as a means of demanding proper education for their children. I have seen one of those schools. The Minister should put on the record of the House how many ABA schools she has visited since she became Minister for Education and Science. We see plenty of photographs of smiling, happy children in the mainstream setting with the Minister, but how many ABA schools has she visited since she became Minister? If she had visited those schools, she would have seen an extraordinary commitment on the part of parents. Some schools raise €250,000 per year as a means of helping those children get the educational support they need.

The existing 12 ABA pilot schools currently funded by the Government have been in negotiations with the Department since the election. The Department is seeking to have their staff, many of whom are trained psychologists, have Master's degrees in ABA and otherwise, complete the Hibernia College course for primary school teachers and will not recognise them as teachers unless they have completed the honours Irish examination. This is despite the fact that any child who is autistic and enters mainstream education is automatically exempt from studying Irish. If ever there was an example of a systems failure and an inability to fit different modes and methods within the formalised education structure, this is it.

It is estimated that, including the children currently attending the three ABA applicant schools that are already up and running, there are at least 400 children waiting for ABA tuition. The Department suggests that the reason it does not favour ABA centres for pupils with autism is not related to resources. It suggests that each child with autism is unique and, therefore, should have access to a range of different interventions to meet their individual needs within a mainstream setting.

Parents would be delighted to send their autistic children to a mainstream school with adequate supports if that is what their child has been prescribed. However, the reality is that there are many parents who receive official assessments from psychologists recommending that their child is in need of ABA tuition and there are few suitable services available. While some children will thrive in the model put forward by the Minister, there are a certain number who will regress as a result of this kind of tuition. I agree with the Minister's suggestion that every child is unique. That is why not all children are suited to a combination of methods. Some children need ABA for a certain period and that is the system that has worked so well for so many children.

The Government taskforce on autism completed a report in 2001, which outlined a number of recommendations, including specific recommendations relating to the roles, responsibilities and rights of parents, and in particular, ensuring that "parents have primacy in the decision making process as soon as their child has been identified as having particular educational needs". They must be entitled to make an informed choice on the educational placement of their child. That is the key issue. The main emphasis placed by the task force was giving parents the right, in consultation with the Department, to make that choice for their child. The current system takes that choice away from many parents by demanding a system and a form that the Department has applied, which does not have the support of all the parents concerned.

The co-author of this report, Dr. Rita Honan, has suggested that the Minister's policy on education for autistic children is misguided. She said that research for the past 40 years shows that up to half of the children who engage in ABA as their primary method of pre-school intervention go on to mainstream education without any additional supports. The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 was introduced as a means of putting the provision of education for persons with special educational needs on a new footing. The National Council for Special Education produced an implementation report following this Act which included a detailed proposed timeline for the implementation of the various sections of the Act. The Minister recently suggested that she will not strictly adhere to the council's recommendations as further work and analysis and further discussion with the partners is required.

There is no means of appeal for parents other than pursuing their child's right to educational services through the courts. Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin, who I welcome to the House tonight, took a 68-day action in the High Court to oblige the State to provide applied behavioural analysis for their son, Seán. The action was regarded as a test case for autistic children seeking ABA education. Once again, the Department of Education and Science prefers to wrestle parents through the courts who are seeking justice for their children. It is a David and Goliath contest in which the vast resources of the State are pitted against parents who know what works for their children and what is in their best interests. How many other Ó Cuanacháin type cases must we see go through the courts before the Minister comes to her senses?

I want a guarantee from the Minister this evening that any third party costs arising from the case in which the Ó Cuanacháins were held liable will be met in full by the State. As I said to her in an Adjournment debate two weeks ago, on which she did not reply to the substance of the issue I raised, I want a guarantee that if the Ó Cuanacháins are lumbered with third party costs, the State will pay that amount.

The Minister recently stated that the special education appeals board was appointed in April 2007. She stated also that the board is working to ensure that appropriate structures and processes are put in place once the relevant sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act have come into being. We do not have an appeals system in place. We will not have an appeals system until 2009 and none of the Minister's propaganda to date can indicate otherwise.

I have received many e-mails from parents in the past few days but one e-mail outlines the exact position. I want to put it on the record to ensure we can understand what these parents are going through. It states:

Our son who will be 5 in April has Down Syndrome and was diagnosed as being on the autistic spectrum in December 2007.

He has no communication skills, he can't dress himself . . . . He can feed himself with some assistance. He doesn't follow any instructions and going for a walk is a challenge because he doesn't understand the concept of danger.

His psychologist has recommended one on one intervention using a behavioural approach but the Department of Education cannot meet this requirement. Instead they are trying to persuade us to send him to an autism unit attached to a special school . . . . He does not function well in group settings . . . . The minister ... said on the News at One on 30 January that all children's needs are being met locally and that the DES is setting up special classes in local schools ... There are no autism units [where we live]. The only state funded ABA school [in our area] has a waiting list of 42.

The final paragraph states:

We are tired of fighting for an appropriate education for our son. The stress has affected us as parents and our other children. We need proper help.

Deputy Seán Barrett

Since I was first elected to this House 27 years ago I have been fighting for the rights of children with special needs on a constant basis. Parents of these children face a constant struggle, which is inexcusable. Anybody who has met these parents understands the trauma and anxiety they suffer on a daily basis and they are shoved, so to speak, from one Department to another.

Let us be frank about this issue. There are two Departments responsible for this area, namely, the Department of Education and Science and the Department of Health and Children. Both Departments bear most of the responsibility for the lack of provision of special education services and speech and language therapy for these children. I recently became aware of a child who waited 12 months to be assessed for speech therapy and was then put on a waiting list. The parents were told it would be another 12 months before they got the treatment. Instead of the age old practice of shoving parents from one Department to the other, there should be a co-ordinated effort to recognise and provide an appropriate response both in education and health.

If a parent has a totally frustrated young child or young man, how can they expect to have a wholesome young adult? A government or a society will be judged on the extent to which it caters for the most vulnerable in our society. In the past ten years, with the so-called Celtic tiger, the Government had a golden opportunity to adopt world best practices and to make a real impact on autism and various other sensory disabilities. The levels of some services for autism are only at the pilot stage and were it not for the furore by parents, they would remain at the lower end of the Government's spectrum as a priority.

What must be borne in mind is that autism covers a wide spectrum from mild to severe and a structured approach to the condition is vital. That must, of necessity, be a multi-disciplinary team approach involving the relevant Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children, and the parents in providing a genuine rehabilitation and educational programme. Such a team approach is not a new idea. It is quite common in business and corporations and it will depend on the willingness of the two Departments involved.

What does a multi-disciplinary team approach involve? Depending on the degree of severity, it will involve speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and behavioural therapy in addition to regular teaching. Depending on the severity of the condition, the object of the exercise should be to enable the child to benefit from normal mainstream education. Expectations should be pitched as high as possible consistent with the child's ability but it is vital that there is intervention at the earliest possible stage.

It is not good enough to settle for a child coming out of school at 18 without having experienced any second level education. It is downright immoral. How many children have we come across who were dumped, so to speak, after primary school? Parents are left in a frustrating situation. They do not know where to turn. Those young children approaching teenage years are left without proper facilities, yet the wrangling between the Departments of Education and Science and Health and Children continues. Ministers should get off their butts and do something about this issue. It is simply a question of combining the efforts of both Departments, forgetting about the rights and wrongs in each Department and making certain that services that are appropriate to their needs are delivered to the children who need them.

How can we talk about a children's rights referendum when we cannot even guarantee young children a proper and fulfilling education? All we get in many cases is lip service. Money is being thrown at particular special educational needs programmes without proper evaluation of their implementation.

We should think of children's individual needs. In this regard an autism review and audit is urgently needed to ascertain the effectiveness of the current provision and how the money is being spent. A national autism strategy, similar to that in the UK, the USA and Canada, is essential in Ireland, where there is so much misunderstanding of the nature of autism and how it has an impact on an individual and a family. Such a strategy would need to be well funded and researched and to have the ability to change our current strategy for the better. That is the approach I urge. This is not a matter for party politics, this concerns young children who should have rights conferred upon them. Ireland is not a poor country. It is time people put their heads together to make certain these children have a proper opportunity and a decent education.

Deputy Ulick Burke

I second the motion, which is timely in the aftermath of the High Court case the Minister attempted to defend, bringing the parents of an autistic child through the courts to justify her single-minded attitude towards the provision of education for children with autism.

The Department's policy on provision of services for autistic children is to integrate children to the mainstream education, providing autistic classes in the mainstream setting. While this approach works for a number of children, others are not ready for the mainstream setting and are specifically recommended by psychologists for applied behavioural analysis. This form of tuition gives a child the opportunity to learn how to learn.

It is important the Minister for Education and Science accepts the scientific background of this method and its proven record of success. Many parents maintain that, with proper early intervention, many children can have a chance of escaping the most severe effects of their condition. Studies in the past 40 years indicate that up to half of preschool children with autism who receive this tuition can progress to mainstream primary schools without additional support.

I refer the Minister to a statement of an elderly man at a meeting in Galway recently. It brings home the message of what is in the distance for many young children. The elderly man has a son in his mid-20s. Due to the lack of early intervention the son has been institutionalised since he was 17 years of age because his parents were unable to look after him. The man visits his son, who is left alone in a small room for 24 hours a day. He can no longer communicate with anyone and will live out his life in this way. The call of the elderly man was that he wanted his son to be happy and content and have some degree of independence. If the Minister continues her present stance we will hear many more similar pleas.

The Minister has an opportunity to take action, having been advised from all sources to change her single-minded attitude. She twists the facts when she justifies her decision not to fund behavioural treatment of children with autism. The Minister uses the findings of the autism task force report to substantiate her claims but she is never fully accurate. She picks and chooses the parts she wishes to believe and continues to refer to figures such as the number of special needs assistants who have been appointed. These assistants are untrained and act in a caring capacity, mainly with little educational input. This evening, on "Six One", the Minister referred to figures to justify her stance. The Government has allocated few resources to in-service training for mainstream teachers to cope with pupils with special needs.

Many experts in special needs have clearly stated that the Minister is misguided. Indeed, Deputy Brian Hayes referred to this in this debate. The co-author on the Government task force on autism has accused the Minister of following a grossly misguided policy of education for autistic children, one that is not backed up by scientific evidence. Dr. Rita Honan of Trinity College stated that the Minister's policy of not providing funding for additional applied behavioural analysis classes meant that many autistic children were missing out on leading normalised and productive lives.

International research in the past 40 years, particularly that carried out at Southampton University, shows that over half of the children who engaged in applied behavioural analysis treatment as the primary preschool method of intervention progress to mainstream education without additional support. The Minister stated that the Government favours the eclectic approach, based on the conclusions of the task force, which states that a range of educational approaches should be offered to children, including applied behavioural analysis. The Minister stated that new classes specialising in applied behavioural analysis are not being funded for a number of reasons, including the lack of teaching qualifications of the tutors and because applied behavioural analysis focuses on a teaching behaviour. Many Deputies have taken her up on this.

The Minister has not educated herself sufficiently on the various methods of educational intervention for children with autism. She consistently makes basic errors in referring to applied behavioural analysis. If she has read anything about the approach or visited any classroom that follows it, it would be clear that the theoretical orientation is used to teach children the basic learning behaviour but also language, speech, self care and life skills. Even at this 12th hour, with 150 parents awaiting a turnabout, the Minister must change her decision. Some 905 children await speech and language assessment in County Galway. Can the Minister for Education and Science justify that?

Deputy John O’Mahony

Just as with the cystic fibrosis debate last week, we are highlighting the plight of families whose children are denied what should be their right. The suffering and frustration of the families of children with autism is always there. The rest of us are only acutely aware of it when cases such as the one last week hit the headlines.

I have attended meetings where the pain and suffering of parents is etched on every face in the room. One father praised his wife for looking after their son while he was at work and equated it to a life sentence. What does one say to parents who have raised thousands of euro on a voluntary basis and acquired a free site for an applied behavioural analysis school in Mayo? The answer of the Minister is to block them at every move and spend millions defending the Department's stance in the courts. The money spent defending many of these cases would provide the resources necessary to expand the current ABA pilot scheme. It is ironic that the report of the task force on autism a number of years ago recommended that the key stakeholders, and parents in particular, be consulted on the development of educational policy in respect of autism. That is not the experience of most parents I met. These parents are very reasonable in their approach. They are not looking for ABA to be used exclusively as a teaching method but merely point out the benefits it can have at an early stage and how the gains made can significantly improve the children's chances of joining mainstream classes earlier than would otherwise be the case.

I also met with the parents of an autistic boy who use the Son-Rise method of instruction for their son. This method is based on the American style where parents are trained to teach their children in the family home. The father of one such boy has taken a career break to teach his child. He spent €20,000 on a training course in America yet has difficulty getting hours of home tuition granted by the Department except on a month-by-month basis. He has to tell the same Department six months in advance whether he wants to continue his career break for the next year.

People who have observed this debate over the past week must really doubt the Minister's basis for her Department's current policy when they see the co-author of the Government task force taking the Minister to task for her misguided policy on education for autistic children, and also stating that the Minister's stance is marked by a number of errors and a misunderstanding of ABA. Perhaps the Minister will explain on what scientific evidence she based her policy approach to autism. This is the least that the supporters of ABA deserve.

Where there are special autistic units within mainstream schools there is a great need for a better pupil-teacher ratio than 1:6, which is the current situation. I have visited those schools as well as the ABA schools. No teacher should be required to take more than four children in these special classes.

Speech and language therapy is a requirement for most children with special needs, whether they are autistic or have another disability. It is totally unacceptable that children progress through school without proper attention in this area year on year. All that is required is agreement between the Health Service Executive and the Department of Education and Science to incorporate speech and language therapy into the education system, as is the case in the UK where speech therapists are employed by the education authorities and this provides for the needs of children. There is a tremendous reluctance on the part of both Ministers concerned to come to this arrangement, as was necessary when the former Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Martin, integrated care assistants in the schools under his Department. The Government was practically forced to comply following long consultation with the Ombudsman's office at the time. Autistic children deserve a better deal than they are getting. They deserve a fair deal. It is still not too late to change. I strongly commend the Fine Gael motion.

Deputy James Reilly

I thank Deputy Brian Hayes for bringing this motion before the House. Approximately 20 years ago I was a member of a health board and became involved in an educational sub-committee involving inspectors from the Department of Education and Science. At that time, the Department still refused to acknowledge there was such a thing as autism. Following numerous meetings with officials, they softened their position to accept there might be such a thing as autism but it did not require any particular educational approach.

Thankfully, we have come a long way since then. I accept that matters have improved greatly but I urge the Minister tonight to go the last leg of the journey that would allow children with autism access to the educational support they need, which is primarily one to one. This can be achieved through ABA and other mechanisms. I have no issue with the concept of an eclectic approach but I do take serious issue with the fact that the current eclectic approach as described by the Minister is not a one-to-one approach but a one to six with two special needs assistants, SNAs. The Minister has failed to convince this House about her approach.

I know from my own research that many SNAs have no specific training in autism and that even teachers who are involved in the classes are not what one could describe as experts in the teaching of children with autism. As other speakers pointed out, the co-author of the Government task force report on autism accused the Minister of following a grossly misguided policy on education for autistic children. She said that "international research for the past 40 years shows that up to half of children who engage in ABA as a primary method of preschool intervention go on to mainstream education without any additional supports". She further indicated that the Minister had not sufficiently educated herself on the various methods of educational intervention for children with autism and that she consistently made very basic errors when referring to applied behaviour analysis. She stated in regard to the Minister: "If she read anything about this approach and-or visited any classroom which follows this as its primary methodology it would be clear to her that this theoretical orientation is utilised to teach children not only basic learning behaviours required to learn but also language; speech — a prime component of early intensive behavioural intervention; self care; daily living and leisure skills; social communication and routine preschool teaching; and, for the older children, the national curriculum."

Dr. Honan said the task force report listed ABA as the first and most effective educational approach to dealing with autism. She also pointed out that both TEACCH and PECS are used in this system, according to each child's needs and that all other interventions that emerge in the field are closely evaluated and, where supported by scientific evidence, incorporated into the classroom.

It appears that many ABA tutors who have a four year degree in areas such as psychology are not regarded as being qualified in the eyes of the Department. ABA schools provide an eclectic approach. They use all modalities with the principle that they have highly trained skilled personnel available on a one-to-one basis for the children and the outcome after three years is nothing short of dramatic.

Even if the Minister did not have an ounce of humanity in her and if she had no sense of what was morally right, she would surely see the benefit from an economic perspective of having children assessed in a timely fashion. This is an issue for the Health Service Executive and the Minister for Health and Children. The delay in getting an assessment is somewhere between 18 months and two years. If these assessments were carried out at an early stage and appropriate educational facilities were made available, many of these children would be able to attend regular schools. While many children may require additional help through the special classes for autism in ordinary schools, we would all support the overall aim of integration. It is clear that this will not be possible in all cases but for a large number of children with autism this is the preferred route and this is what will give the child, the family, the State and the Exchequer the best outcome.

When I was a member of a health board more than ten years ago, I estimated the cost of "specialing" a patient. In psychiatry this is the term used to describe a situation where a patient is minded 24 hours a day. A dedicated nurse is provided one to one to prevent a patient from self-harming or harming others. The cost was £100,000 ten years ago. I do not know what that is in today's money. I do not know how many of those cases are in psychiatric institutions. I do not have any idea how much money it would cost but it would be a damn sight more than the €5 million to €6 million that it is reckoned is required to support the further 12 ABA schools it is proposed to establish. If the Minister has figures to the contrary perhaps she will share them with us.

Natural justice, humanity and fairness demand that ABA is made available to those for whom it is the most appropriate mode of treatment. Early assessment is essential. It is nonsense to have speech and language therapy for the education of young children solely under the remit of the Health Service Executive when clearly the Department of Education and Science should have access to it. I know of one school in Swords which has special needs assistants and teachers but it cannot get any speech and language or occupational or behavioural therapy.

As the Minister is aware, ABA operates for in excess of 240 days of the year because children with autism need far more intervention than the average child in terms of an educational input week in and week out. To operate according to the normal school year is counterproductive. We have reached a situation where we are to have 12 pilot ABA schools. Are we to wait another ten years for them in the way we have to wait for cervical screening?

Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin recently asked: "How do you fight the whole resources of the State when they are brought down to bear on you...when they decide to fight such a terrible and aggressive case?" I urge the Minister to think as a mother, to think of the devastation on getting the diagnosis. She should think of the darkness descending over her as her beautiful child's future disappears before her eyes. Think of what it is like to live in a house that is totally disrupted by this child and the destructive capacity of many of these children as they try to deal with the frustration caused by their disability. Then think of the hope that ABA represents, the thought that one's boy — it is usually a boy as three out of four with autism are boys — might after all have a shot at what we describe as normality, a chance of a normal education later in live, a chance to go university, to be independent. Then imagine what the Minister's current policy is doing in depriving parents of this opportunity. That is why parents risk all, even their houses, to give that chance to their child. I ask the Minister to restore hope, ease the pain of these families and spend what is, in the context of the €900 million, a measly €5 million to €6 million to secure the future of our children.

Minister for Education and Science (Deputy Mary Hanafin)

I move amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"recognising that:

major improvements have been made in special education in recent years, underpinned by a doubling of investment since 2004 to €900 million this year and the provision of approximately 19,000 teachers and SNAs to work solely with children with special needs;

the number of special classes for children with autism has increased by 40% in the past year alone, with 277 classes now in place in mainstream and special schools around the country;

applied behavioural analysis is one of the interventions used in such classes, along with others that focus on the development of children's speech and communication skills;

the taskforce on autism recommended that a range of resources and approaches be made available to meet the unique needs of each student with an autistic spectrum disorder in all school settings;

the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 is being implemented on the phased basis provided for in the legislation so that teachers and schools will be well-prepared for the major developments that it encompasses;

the first Special Education Appeals Board has already been appointed in advance of the full implementation of the Act; and

improved co-ordination between the education and health sectors has been prioritised, with the appointment of a Minister of State with that specific responsibility and the establishment of a cross-sectoral team to co-ordinate the implementation of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 and the relevant sections of the EPSEN Act 2004;

appreciates that in any area of historic under-provision it takes time to bring services up to the optimum level and supports the Government's determination to:

improve access to assessments for children with special needs, as per the commitments in the Disability Act 2005 and the programme for Government;

expand preschool provision around the country to ensure early intervention;

continue to increase the number of special classes for children with autism;

continue to provide schools with the necessary supports so that each child with special needs can have an education that is tailored to their unique individual needs and abilities, with provision for a range of interventions — including PECS, ABA and TEACCH — for children with autism;

deliver on the commitment in the programme for Government to "commit to long-term funding for the 12 centres that are currently in the ABA pilot scheme subject to agreement with the Department of Education and Science on standards that will enable the Department to support them as primary schools for children with autism";

continue the work of putting in place the necessary processes to enable the full implementation of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 by October 2010 as set out in the legislation;

develop special schools as centres of excellence and outreach facilities and allow for dual enrolment so that children can attend both a special school and a mainstream school as appropriate;

continue to improve second level provision for children with special needs;

improve access to speech and language and occupational therapy; and

provide parents, through the Special Education Appeals Board, with a right of recourse to an independent appeals process."

I wish to share time with the Minister of State, Deputy Devins.

I am genuinely glad of the opportunity to clearly outline my commitment and that of the Government to all children in this country, and particularly children with special educational needs. I, too, am particularly conscious of the commitment and dedication of parents of children with special needs and the efforts and many personal sacrifices they make to ensuring that their children get the best advantage and reach their full potential. That is the case for parents all over the country.

It is also our commitment to ensure that we support those parents and children, recognising that all children are different and children with autism are different. They all have a range of needs and our responsibility is to ensure that, within the education system and the health service, we are meeting all of those needs and providing locally-based services to enable as many of those children as possible attend schools in their local areas with their siblings, to be part of their local communities and to get the educational support that they need. That has been the commitment of Government in recent years and that has been my personal commitment since I became Minister for Education and Science.

The record in this area is one of under-provision. There is a poor record for many years in providing for children with special needs and we are playing catch-up. We have driven a complete transformation in educational policy in the past ten years and we have focussed specifically on children with special educational needs.

It is not so long ago — perhaps 20 years, as has been mentioned already — that people did not recognise this area. Ten years ago, there was no automatic entitlement to either teaching or care supports. Provision for children with special needs in mainstream schools was virtually non-existent. Not all schools had resource or learning support teachers. There were only 252 special needs assistants in total, with virtually all of these employed in special schools. If a child had any significant educational or care need, parents had no choice but to enrol him or her in special schools, where the child had access to excellent teachers and care staff but little opportunity to mix with other children from the community. There were only eight special classes for children with autism in the entire country. At that time, children with special needs had few choices in education.

Over the past ten years, successive Ministers have delivered significant improvements in services for children with special needs. When I became Minister for Education and Science in 2004, I acknowledged that while significant improvements had already been made, the historical reality of under-provision in this area meant that we were still playing catch-up and I made this my number one priority.

Ten years ago, my colleague, the then Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Micheál Martin, put in place the policy of "automatic response". For the first time, a child with a special educational need had the right to additional teaching or care supports. Since then, the services available to children with special needs have improved dramatically. The right of each child to the maximum appropriate level of inclusion in line with his or her abilities has been recognised and supported in legislation and in practice. The number of SNAs has increased from less than 300 to almost 10,000 and the number of teachers working solely with children with special needs in the schools has increased significantly to over 9,000 today, that is, 19,000 people whose sole job is to work with children with special educational needs. Continued support for special schools has helped them to provide excellent services for children with more complex special needs. Over the past decade, successive Ministers have made improvements for children with special educational needs a priority.

The improvements over the past three and a half years have been significant. Investment in special education has almost doubled, to over €900 million this year. Almost 6,000 additional special education staff have been put in place — 4,000 special needs assistants and 2,000 teachers. The application process for extra supports has been completely transformed with the move from an entirely centralised system with all applications processed by the Department to a more child and family-friendly process with 82 local special needs organisers working with parents and teachers. All primary schools have been allocated resource teaching hours based on their enrolment figures to support children with high incidence special needs and learning difficulties, such as dyslexia. This means that the majority of primary school pupils with special needs no longer require assessments in order to get extra support. The level of training available to teachers has been significantly improved through a major expansion of the special education support service, which was set up in 2003. Last year, the service was in contact with over 15,000 teachers. Day-to-day funding for special classes has been significantly improved and has been almost doubled for classes for children under 12 with a physical disability.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Not in the world in which we live.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

A new package of extra resources — from higher capitation grants, to teaching principals and priority status on the building programme — has been made available to encourage schools to set up special classes for children with autism. This has supported the expansion in the number of such classes from less than 150 in September 2004 to almost 280 at present, with 40% of these set up in the past year alone. Many significant advances have, therefore, been made in recent years, improving the lives of children with special needs and their families.

Whereas ten years ago, most parents of children with significant special education or care needs had no choice but to send them to a special school, now there are three distinct choices available. The child can attend a mainstream class in their local school — we are spreading that availability throughout the country — with additional supports as required, can attend a special class in a mainstream school or can attend a special school.

The needs of students can change as they get older and mature. The system now in place provides both a continuum of education and options to enable students move from one setting to another in line with their changing needs.

Special schools still play a significant role as part of the range of options now available and will continue to do so. There are over 100 special schools all over the country. Not only is the Government committed to continuing to support such schools, we see huge potential to develop them as centres of excellence and outreach facilities working with mainstream schools. We are also committed to developing a new procedure for dual enrolment so that children can attend both a special school and a mainstream school as appropriate. There is no question, therefore, of the special school option not being supported.

Most parents, however, prefer their child to be integrated into mainstream education where possible. They want the child to be able to go to a local school, where he or she can have both access to specialist supports and the chance to mix with other children from his or her area. They value the fact that even the child in the special class who needs intensive specialist support can benefit from participating with his or her peers in activities such as school sports days and concerts and feel part of the school community.

Not only is inclusion the desire of the vast majority of parents, it is also the guiding ethos of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Educating children in the least restrictive environment has become the norm in developed societies in recent years.

I was genuinely shocked to hear the Leader of the Opposition refer last week to inclusion as a "social experiment".

Deputy Brian Hayes

Here comes the dirt. The Minister is a dirt bird.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

I thought we had all moved on from the restrictive scenario that pervaded when parents had no real choice but to send their child to a special school.

Deputy Brian Hayes

That is the dirt from her.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister without interruption.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

I assure the Deputy that there are tens of thousands——

Deputy Brian Hayes

I would not expect anything more from her but dirt. That is all she could do with a serious motion. She can spy dirt.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

——of parents all over the country that would take exception to his description of the inclusion of their children in local schools as a "social experiment".

Deputy Peter Power

Deputy Hayes should relax. This is the House of Parliament.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Deputy Hayes, you gave your contribution without interruption.

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

It was a disgraceful comment.

Deputy Brian Hayes

That was something.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Please allow the Minister to make her contribution without interruption.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

As I have already said, I accept that a place in a special school is the option most suited to the needs of some children but I utterly reject Deputy Kenny's claims that inclusion in general has not worked.

Deputy Brian Hayes

Dirt.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

I hope that Deputy Kenny's insensitive remarks were just an unfortunate choice of words——

Deputy Brian Hayes

Now we know the political football the Minister plays.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

——and that he does not really want to see a return to the restrictive and unjust policies of the past where children with special needs were sidelined from mainstream education.

The Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004 has commenced with the establishment of the NCSE, the appointment of 82 SENOs and the establishment of local offices around the country. An appeals board has also been established. This Act was revolutionary legislation, designed not only to consign to the past Ireland's poor history with regard to services for children with special needs, but to make our services among the best in the world. The Act includes an entitlement to an educational assessment for children with special needs and to an individual educational plan. It also provides for parents to be consulted and informed at different stages of the process. They will also have recourse to the independent appeals board.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Dream on.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Given the scale of the improvements provided for in the Act, which amount to a significant transformation of special education services over a very short time, the legislation provides for its provisions to be phased in over a five-year period and to full implementation by 2010. I have said from the start that it was vital to improve the supports available to schools before they become subject to new responsibilities under the Act, and we have been doing that. Since 2004, investment in special education has doubled to €900 million, almost 6,000 additional special education staff have been put in place and training for teachers has been dramatically improved.

Guidance has issued to primary schools on the continuum of assessment and intervention, with specific advice on devising and implementing individual education plans. Second level schools have also received specific advice on how to meet the particular challenges of including children with special needs at post-primary level.

A cross-sectoral team has also been established, comprising senior officials from my Department, the NCSE, the Department of Health and Children and the HSE. This team is working hard to co-ordinate the implementation of Part 2 of the Disability Act 2005 and the relevant sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004. The appointment of Deputy Jimmy Devins as Minister of State at the Department of Education and Science and at the Department of Health and Children has also helped to improve co-ordination between the two sectors in the interests of a better service for children.

Tonight's motion refers to the need for an independent appeals process. As Opposition Members should be aware, this is specifically provided for in the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act.

Deputy Ulick Burke

It is not working.

Deputy Brian Hayes

Where is it?

Deputy Mary Hanafin

The members of the inaugural special education appeals board were appointed in April 2007. They are working to ensure that appropriate structures and processes will be in place once the relevant sections of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act, which would allow appeals to be undertaken, are commenced. This is important work that must take place before the new entitlement of recourse to an independent appeal process can be commenced.

It is expected, for example, that many of the appeals will relate to the content of the individual education plans, IEPs, that children will be entitled to under the Act. It is essential, therefore, that schools are given time to prepare for the introduction of a right to an IEP before appeals relating to the plans can be heard. Let me make it clear, the introduction of an independent appeals process is already in train. However, it is being put in place in a sensible and planned way in the interests of a smooth transition to the new arrangements that will benefit children with special needs and their families. In the meantime, parents may appeal allocations and supports through the National Council for Special Education.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Or go to court.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

The Act is, therefore, being implemented on the phased basis that was specifically provided for in the legislation as voted for in this House. There has been no delay. Much of the Act has been implemented and the rest of it will be in place by October 2010. By that time, special education in this country will have been revolutionised and children will have a world-class level of service that would have seemed unthinkable only a few short years ago.

The Government has placed a particular focus on improving services for children with autism. I acknowledge, as I have done on previous occasions, the huge dedication and commitment of parents of children with autism in the face of a disability that brings with it major challenges not just for the child concerned but for his or her entire family. I have met many parents of children with autism all over the country and I admire and respect their commitment to their children and the sacrifices they make to assist their development.

I welcome the chance to outline tonight what we are doing in this area and why we genuinely believe it is in the best interests of the children with autism.

Deputy Ulick Burke

What the Minister believes.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Autism was first recognised as a specific special educational need in Ireland in 1998. Since then, we have worked hard to put in place a proper continuum of services for children with autism from age two and a half upwards. This has not been easy, given the historical lack of appropriate services for such children. However, considerable progress has been made. To prioritise early intervention, we have put in place a system of home tuition for children of preschool age with autism.

Deputy Ulick Burke

And withdrawn funding.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Children up to the age of three are now entitled to ten hours of home tuition per week, increasing to 20 hours per week once the child is three years of age. Some 23 autism-specific preschools have also been established. The expansion of this preschool network is a priority for us for the coming years.

Services for school-age children with autism have been dramatically transformed for the better in recent years. The major increases in the numbers of special education teachers and assistants has enabled approximately 2,100 autistic children to be integrated into mainstream classes in their local schools, with the benefit of specialised education and care supports as needed. Places have also been created for nearly 1,000 more children in autism-specific classes in mainstream schools all over the country. There are also places for more than 500 other children in autism-specific classes in special schools. A further 244 children attend the centres which are being funded under the pilot ABA scheme.

Therefore, from a position of very limited autism-specific provision a few years ago, there are now places for approximately 3,600 children in special classes in mainstream or special schools. As I mentioned, the number of special classes for children with autism has been increased by 40% in the past year alone. The Department of Education and Science will pay for transport to the nearest class. Home tuition is available for children who are having difficulty securing an appropriate placement, though the number of children in that position is now very small.

Children in special classes have the benefit of fully qualified teachers who are trained in educating and developing children generally and who have access to additional training in autism-specific approaches, including the picture exchange communication system, PECS, applied behavioural analysis and the treatment and education of autistic and communication handicapped children, TEACCH, method. The level of such training available to teachers has improved dramatically in recent years and is a major priority for the Government. Our special classes are child centred, not method centred.

Deputy Ulick Burke

That is a change of heart.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

There are a maximum of six children in each special class, with a teacher and at least two special needs assistants. Extra assistants are provided where the children need them. A child can have his or her own SNA, if needed.

Deputy Brian Hayes

An SNA with training?

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Members of the Joint Committee on Education and Science experienced first hand the benefits of this special class model at a recent visit to two of the schools which provide autism-specific education in special classes. I have seen how children with autism in the mainstream school are fully supported in the special classes as well as attending ordinary classes in line with their abilities and play in the school yard with the other students. They experience the school's genuine commitment to integrate children with autism with the other students at every opportunity. Staff are enthusiastic and open to fostering a spirit of inclusion so that all children feel very much a part of the school.

Staff pioneered new approaches in the mainstream classroom to enhance the quality of education provided to children with Asperger's syndrome. The committee and I saw how this model of education teaches children how to learn, as well as addressing communication impairments and helping them to develop social skills and become as independent as possible.

I understand that teachers in these schools explained to the Oireachtas delegation that while children in special classes can have their own special needs assistant if they need one, one-to-one support is not appropriate in all circumstances. The ultimate goal for children with autism is to enable them to reach their potential and live their adult lives as independently as possible. One of the key challenges for a child with autism is to develop the ability to relate to, and interact with, other children and adults. If children are provided with adult support unnecessarily all the time, it can inhibit the development of their sense of self, their independence and their ability to relate to others or to interact as part of a group.

Deputy James Reilly

What does having it none of the time do for them?

Deputy Mary Hanafin

I and other Members were particularly impressed by the ‘buddy' system which supports children. I hope the Fine Gael spokesperson on education, who was not able to participate in that visit, will take the opportunity to visit on another occasion.

Deputy Brian Hayes

On a point of order——

Deputy Mary Hanafin

I would like to turn now to the issue of the use of the applied behavioural analysis intervention in the education of children with autism.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Minister's time is limited.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

My time is very limited.

Deputy Brian Hayes

I know the Minister is flying. On a point of order——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

I will accept the point of order in a moment. The Minister will also obey the Chair. The Deputy has raised a point of order. What is the point of order?

Deputy Brian Hayes

Before the Minister flies off to Tahiti or wherever she is going——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

Has the Deputy a point of order?

Deputy Brian Hayes

Yes, she deliberately misled the House in her vindictive little way by suggesting I had not been at a school which has——

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

That is a charge that can only be made by way of substantive motion and the Deputy is well aware of that.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

No I did not, I said on that visit.

Deputy Brian Hayes

She deliberately mislead the House. I was visiting another school at the time. I could question her movements and where she was on the day.

An Leas-Cheann Comhairle

The Deputy will resume his seat. I call the Minister to conclude her contribution.

Deputy Brian Hayes

She is badly advised.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

In the event that I use up all the time, the Minister of State, Deputy Devins, will contribute tomorrow night.

I would like to turn now to the issue of the use of the applied behavioural analysis intervention in the education of children with autism. As Deputies will be aware, autism is a spectrum disorder and children with autism can have widely varying needs and abilities. The Government believes that as each child with autism is unique, he or she should have access to a range of different teaching approaches to meet his or her individual needs. Applied behavioural analysis, ABA, is one of the interventions used in the education of children with autism both in special classes in mainstream schools and in special schools. However, while behavioural interventions are significant, other methods such as TEACCH and PECS are just as important in developing children's communication and speech skills. It is important that children have access to a range of methods so that their broader needs can be met.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Here we go again.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Teachers in special classes, who are familiar with a range of approaches, can tailor these to the needs of the individual child. Where a child has been diagnosed as needing ABA we have brought in consultants from Norway and the US, and as Deputies will see, we also have staff in our Department because we support the use of ABA and training is provided for teachers in its use. My Department has recruited a behavioural specialist support team, led by a person with a PhD in ABA. This will offer programmes in ABA for teachers. However, based on research, advice and best practice, my Department does not accept that ABA should be the only intervention used.

Both the findings of the task force on autism and international best practice support the view that a range of approaches should be used, rather than just one. Autism societies in other countries also caution against relying on just one approach. This is substantiated by the US National Research Council report and the Northern Ireland task force on autism. By enabling children in special classes to have access to a range of methods including, but not limited to, ABA, the Government is doing what we are advised is in the best interests of children.

I welcome the opportunity provided by this debate to put on the record some of the expert advice and research that has informed the Department's view that a range of interventions should be available to children with autism in all settings, rather than just one. My Department's policy reflects that there is no consensus among autism professionals on one approach being more effective for all children. The fact that experts on all sides can cite peer-reviewed research to support different positions underlines the lack of consensus. If something has been scientifically proven, it has been established beyond doubt, beyond dispute, the subject of consensus views. This is not the case regarding ABA.

It has been claimed that the task force on autism found ABA to be superior to other interventions. This is not the case. The task force on autism undertook a review of international research literature on autistic spectrum disorders. With reference to studies on the ABA method of intensive intervention with young children with autism, which it said "continue to be the subject of peer review controversy", it advised that "such discussions contribute to the closer scrutiny of all approaches and remind us once again that there is no one intervention accepted by all parents and professionals above all others". The task force stated that it supported a "reflective practitioner model of teaching where the system has the capacity to be flexible and teachers think, plan and then react from a diverse knowledge base".

Deputy Ulick Burke

This is selective again.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

The task force also stated that there is "no definitive evidence that supported one approach as being better than others for all children with ASDs, or supports a single approach for all aspects of development; nor is there any evidence by which children could be matched to particular approaches". It recommended that a range of approaches be made available to meet the unique needs of each student with an autistic spectrum disorder in all school settings. That is precisely our policy and what we have aimed to do.

Deputy James Reilly

But the Minister will not offer one-to-one teaching, which ABA schools do.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

The House will appreciate that if the task force found no definitive evidence to support one intervention over the others——

Deputy Ulick Burke

There is certainly none in the Minister's policy.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

——it is difficult to ascribe any credibility to recent comments that listed ABA as the first and most effective educational approach.

Deputy James Reilly

This is from the Minister's task force co-authors.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

It is not. Deputies should also remember that there were 13 members of the task force on autism. No one person can claim to speak on behalf of the group as a whole.

Deputy Ulick Burke

The Minister should ask the other task force members. She will have her answer.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Deputies may have heard the interesting and informative debate on the "News at One" today between two members of the task force who have very different views on the role of ABA in the education of children with autism.

The report of the task force on autism is just one of many reports and pieces of research that has informed my Department's policy on the appropriate educational provision for children with autism. Officials in my Department regularly review research, speak with experts, and attend international conferences on the topic to keep themselves abreast of ongoing developments in the research and best practice in other countries. My Department's policy is also informed by advice from the National Educational Psychological Service and the inspectorate.

There is nowhere near enough time in this debate to outline to the House the various different pieces of research and advice that have informed our view that the provision of access to a range of interventions in all settings is in the best interests of children with autism. I encourage all Members to educate themselves about this important issue and in particular about the extent of debate that exists in the international autism community about the success of different types of interventions.

Deputy Brian Hayes

The Minister should go back to school.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

There is much research and a lot is going on around the world on autism.

Members might be interested to know that the task force on autism in Northern Ireland in 2001 also consulted widely with professionals, reviewed a wide range of literature on autism and invited experts on autism to address the group. It found "preference for no single approach but concludes that single methods by themselves may not address effectively the triad of impairments associated with ASD". It concluded that "the interventions should be child-centred rather than method-centred and should address the observed and unique needs of the child and any variation in these which occurs over time and across settings and situations". A recent UK study by Magiati, Charman and Howlin concluded as follows: "Our data support the growing consensus that no one intervention for children with ASD is universally superior to all others."

We are following best international practice which shows that all internationally recognised methods should be available to children within the education facilities we provide throughout the country because we recognise that all children are different, including children with autism. All children deserve access to a fully qualified teacher, including children with autism. That is what we aim to provide around the country. The Deputies will be interested in the Middletown Centre for Autism, which is organised on a cross-border, North-South basis aimed at promoting excellence in the field of autism. A head of research, chief executive and board were appointed there.

I hope the material I have quoted has illustrated that there is not consensus that ABA is a superior method or that it should be the only method. That is why the idea of solely having ABA exclusive schools is not part of our policy.

Deputy Brian Hayes

Nobody suggested that.

Deputy Ulick Burke

This is more spin.

Deputy Brian Hayes

When will the Minister tell the truth?

Deputy Mary Hanafin

It is important we have fully qualified teachers to enable children to make progress. If all that can be offered is ABA, or there is an insistence that any other interventions used must be through ABA, the optimum environment is not in place to meet the full complexity and variety of need presented by children with autism, who need broad and multiple approaches. In supporting the use of a range of interventions rather than just one, the Government is doing what it is advised is in the best interests of children with autism.

A network of 277 special classes is now in place around the country. In the absence of this network, funding was provided for ABA centres as part of a pilot scheme.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Will Deputy Devins pass his speaking notes to the Minister?

Deputy Mary Hanafin

As I have made clear before, and for the reasons I have outlined tonight, new, exclusive ABA centres will not be approved. However, the Government is committed to long-term funding for the pilots, subject to agreement with the Department of Education and Science on standards that will enable the Department to support them as primary schools for children with autism. The type of standards that must be agreed include the qualifications of the staff working in the centres and the type of educational programme available to the children. All children in the country are entitled to be taught by a fully qualified teacher and so are children with autism. We are working very hard to try to obtain agreement on the conversion of the existing pilots into special schools.

Deputy Brian Hayes

That is according to the Minister.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Deputies may be pleased to hear that my Department's policy was recently endorsed by the first of the ABA pilots. CABAS in Cork was established in 1999.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Deputy Devins is out of luck. He should jump on the bus with the Minister. She is on a mission tonight.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

Last year CABAS applied for special school status, to use its own words, "in the interests of their children being able to avail of a child-centered, autism-specific education and with access to the Department of Education's curriculum". They want to have fully qualified teachers and access to the wide range of supports offered in line with the Department's policy. Deputies may also be aware that in the past week I gave recognition to the Rehab Group as the patron of a new special school for children with autism in Limerick. St. Michael's House is also planning for its special school for children with autism. Yesterday a school which only last September set up a special preschool class for autism in Derrinturn, County Kildare, asked if it could set up a second class because of the success of the preschool in supporting the children's education and integration.

Deputy Brian Hayes

So much for co-ordination.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

My Department does not insist that all children with autism are educated in mainstream schools, as is sometimes claimed. We are simply working to ensure that whether in mainstream or special schools, children have access to a balanced programme, delivered by suitably trained staff.

In this country we have a very strong commitment by myself and the Government to all children with special educational needs and particularly, in this instance, children with autism. We have been extending the range of special schools and classes throughout the country so that parents have the option of sending their child with autism to the same school as the other siblings. Children with autism have access to a fully qualified teacher, the option of being integrated with other children and a range of teaching methods available to them, methods that include communication and social skills, as well as ABA. Such children know that we are aiming to realise the best opportunities that their parents want for them, throughout the country.

Deputy Ulick Burke

The Minister will be late for her flight.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

It is not true to say we are trying to channel children into one system or another. We recognise that every child with autism is unique and different and every child has a range of needs, which is why we are providing a range of supports for them.

Deputy Ulick Burke

Fund them, then.

Deputy James Reilly

The Minister will not give them one-to-one tuition, which will guarantee a good outcome.

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

I wish to share my time with Deputies Kathleen Lynch, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Liz McManus and Joan Burton.

I am saddened but, sadly, not surprised by the assertive nature of the Minister's contribution. The contradictory nature of her comments is of little or no comfort to the parents and others who, for reasons they best know, believe that part of the educational doorway for their children is one-to-one ABA teaching. They are not denying the effects of mainstreaming. In fact, they would dearly love to have a mainstream child. They are not denying the attractiveness of a special class within a mainstream environment whereby the inadequacies, in educational terms, of their child can be dealt with in a peer group but play time, assembly time and all other things can be normalised, so that the child may very well join his or her sister and brother in the playground and go on a normal journey to school with them every day.

All this motion, which the Labour Party supports unreservedly, asks is that the Minister recognise the validity of one-to-one teaching for some children, for some period of time. The Minister cited the ABACAS experience, which refers to a graduation from a one-to-one to a special needs school. Her remarks are contradictory because when one parses and analyses her speech, she said there is no one preferred method, there is no one-size-fits-all, yet she is not prepared to extend the capacity of the ABACAS school, even though there is a queue the length of her arm of distraught parents trying to get their children into it.

I was fortunate to visit the school in Drogheda and to see, at first hand, the teaching methods used there. I also saw, at first hand, as the parent of children myself, the scale of difficulty that some young people had to cope with, in terms of their own barriers to learning to learn. As Cormac Rennick described it so vividly "the difference between our kids and normal kids" is that most kids automatically and intuitively learn behaviour by observing, by participating and by copying their older brothers and sisters, parents and friends on the street, but children with autism do not. We are only on the threshold of knowledge on this. We know very little about it, despite what has emerged in the past few years. I have a brother who is an international expert in the territory. He is well established in his work in Canada and the United States in the area of ADHD and related learning difficulties. There is a spectrum of ignorance, not a spectrum of knowledge, which this generation is picking at in terms of trying to find out what it is that makes one child different from another.

It is against this background that there is a cry coming from some parents in this country, citizens of this Republic, to please, for God's sake, give them the opportunity, for a short period of time, to have one-to-one teaching for their children so they can learn to learn. Yet, the Minister's speech is assertive, declaratory and of the "we've never had it so good", "look at where we've come in ten years" variety. Of course we should have come that distance in ten years. We are the second richest country in Europe. We have money coming out of our ears, a lot of which has been wasted by the Minister's colleagues, yet we cannot seem to reach out and provide the sort of resources needed for the ABACAS schools.

That is the net point of this motion and not seven pages, which deprived the Minister's colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Jimmy Devins, from making his own contribution, on what is happening in all the other areas.

Deputy Mary Hanafin

He will do that tomorrow.

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

We knew all of that. We know there are other forms of special needs and, of course, there has been great progress. We all salute that but it is the minimum that we would look for and it is of no comfort whatsoever to somebody who became a parent in the past five years and whose child has been diagnosed with autism. In some cases, the specialists cannot even agree, as the Minister herself said in her speech. Experts differ and children linger, trying to find a way into the path of knowledge that will give them the prospect of some sort of normal education and some chance of living an independent life. That is what this motion has asked of the Minister and she has thrown it back in our faces. She has hurt a section of this community who simply want access to one-to-one ABA teaching for their children so they can learn to learn.

Deputy Kathleen Lynch

I know the Minister does not write her speeches. She could not do so because she is too busy. The speeches are written by civil servants but I found it very frustrating and annoying listening to that speech. I can only imagine what it would be like if I had a child who was in need of services because of a disability. How frustrating it would be to continually listen to the same thing being trotted out, the figures, the amount being spent, what we have done and what we are going to do. No one is denying any of that. What we are saying here tonight is that it is not enough. The notion that the State would spend €12.5 million in defending cases in the courts against parents who have to go to court because there is no other appeal mechanism is appalling. The Minister has had the report outlining how to set up such an appeals mechanism since October 2006 but nothing has been done. Instead, we must listen to the same thing, over and over again.

Every day I am approached by at least three people, in desperation. They should not have to come to me, their TD. They should be going to the people who will provide services so that their children can live a reasonable life and participate in whatever education system is available to them. I heard of a child the other day, aged six, who is in need of speech therapy. It was recommended that the child receive three sessions per week. What does the State provide? Seven and a half hours per year. The mother pays for one session in the private sector, costing €75 per week. She now has to resort, on my advice, to approaching her community welfare office to try to get it to pay for the therapy when it is the Minister of Education and Science who should be doing so. Seven and half hours per year for a child who cannot speak.

Everyone here could tell stories like that. A person e-mailed me about a case recently and said the situation is worse in disadvantaged areas, such as the one I represent, than in other areas. This individual works in the private sector, in a group that supports children. He wrote:

I have had to arrange for a private educational psychologist to see a child in the northside next Monday. The child is now 12 years and eight months. The child was recognised as needing evaluation at the age of just seven. Finally seen at ten and seven months. Then parents were told the child would have to go on an ASD waiting list and would be waiting two years plus to be seen. At this point, the person involved with the family, who is also dealing with other issues, contacted us to do something, anything. We have agreed to pay for the child to be seen by a private educational psychologist. This will be done on the 18th of February. We have arranged help and support for the school as well, as no help has been given to the teachers from the Department.

He tells me that the Minister does not know what she is talking about because these cases are not unique and are similar to those he deals with every day of the week.

This is not the global figure, the great school opening or the great project. These are two cases with which I have dealt this week, namely, a boy of 12 years and a little girl of six years who can get no help from the State. It will be fantastic in the future, but where are the services to be found now?

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

I thank Deputy Ruairí Quinn for sharing time.

On behalf of the Sinn Féin Deputies, I fully support this motion on the dire situation in our country for children with autism and their parents. I totally reject the amendment in the name of the Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Mary Hanafin. I regret to state that the Minister's approach, be it personally or that of her Department, on this matter has demonstrated a degree of intransigence and authoritarianism, and that should have no place in public administration. Even by the admission of the Minister in her amendment, education for children with autism and other special needs is an area of historic underprovision. More importantly, it is an area of great pain, fear and distress for the children and parents affected. In that context, the approach of the Minister and her Department, supported by her Government colleagues, is totally inappropriate and inflexible and is causing more distress to already distressed children and parents.

Deputy Ruairí Quinn

Hear, hear.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

It is very important to state that this is not a debate between two sets of educationalists about what methods are most appropriate to educate children with autism. There has been an attempt to present this as a pro and anti-ABA argument, but it is not.

Deputy Brian Hayes

Hear, hear.

Deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin

This is about ensuring that every child with autism, as of right, has access to the forms of education most appropriate to his or her individual needs. I have had help in my approach to this matter because my wife is a special needs teacher who teaches children with autism. When I make these points, it is from my exposure and personal awareness on a daily basis in a home where this is a hugely important issue to us as parents and to my wife as a teacher. It is about the ongoing failure of the State to meet these needs despite the commitments that have been made since the report of the task force on autism in 2001.

In 2005, we the Sinn Féin Deputies put forward a motion and used our Private Members' time to demand real action in support of children with special needs, including those with autism. The motion included the following points — I have picked a number of them and reiterate what is contained in them. While progress has been made in the area of special needs education, including the passage of the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act 2004, families still find it necessary to seek redress in the courts for the failure of the State to meet the needs of their children. The Government must allocate the resources required to meet the special needs and equal rights of all. We urge deployment of teachers to be based on the right of each individual pupil to have his or her special educational needs assessed and on the right of each pupil to the resources required to ensure that each can reach his or her full potential. The last point I have picked from the construction of that Private Members' motion is that we urged the full implementation of the recommendations of the Report on Educational Provision and Support for Persons with Autistic Spectrum Disorders, the report of the task force on autism in 2001.

That motion was debated here almost exactly three years ago. Yes, it is important that we readily acknowledge progress has been made, and I do, but thanks first and foremost — this is not begrudging on my part as a political representative because everyone present must recognise it — is due to the efforts of the parents of children with autism. This area, which has suffered historic neglect, is only being addressed slowly by the Government, from which reluctant action is being extracted. However, after three years we find that the State's provision is so limited and the Minister's approach, with respect, is so restrictive that parents are still going to court to vindicate the rights of their autistic children. I make no apology for using these phrases, but the Government has brought shame and disgrace on the State, on the entire jurisdiction, by fighting the Ó Cuanacháin family and other families all the way through the courts to deny their children the right to the education which their special needs require.

The stance of the Minister is contradictory as well as intransigent. Funding has been provided for 12 ABA schools. Most of these schools were established at the initiative of parents when there was virtually no support from the State for the education of children with special needs. However, now that the Department has made some progress and established more special classes, it wants to close the door on the development of further ABA schools. It is closing off this option for children who desperately need it. To justify this stance, the Minister and her Department are attempting to discredit the proven benefits of ABA. The Minister's defence of her refusal to fund these schools has been demolished by the co-author of the report of the task force on autism, Dr. Rita Honan of Trinity College. Dr. Honan points out that the task force placed an emphasis on the need for options for parents and a range of essential supports for children. Obviously, every child with autism does not require full-scale ABA education, but the option must be there for those who need it.

One of the most telling commentaries was written by Adrienne Murphy in The Irish Times on 1 February, the mother of a four year old boy with autism and a journalist. The Minister should consider very carefully what Adrienne Murphy wrote. She stated:

What the Department is failing to acknowledge is that autism is a spectrum disorder. Although many of the children on the mild "high-functioning" end of the spectrum do not require ABA, study after international study show that children on the moderate to severe end of the spectrum most definitely do need the intensive, scientifically-driven, evidence-based, individualised one-to-one intervention that ABA provides. Without it, their chances of leading anything like a normal life are severely diminished.

The Minister claims that the educational model provided in the Department's special classes is eclectic and appropriate for children with autism, but it is not appropriate for all children with autism. To return to Adrienne Murphy's article which further states:

The Department of Education has tried to get around this by saying that the eclectic model contains elements of ABA. For children on the severe end of autism, this is like offering someone falling through the sky a small portion of a parachute with which to try to land.

Let there be no confusion on this. The Minister's refusal to provide for ABA education is not about the needs of children. It is not about favouring one educational model over another. It is something much more crass, namely, money. The Minister and her Department have got it into their heads that providing ABA for all who need it will be far too costly and, therefore, square pegs must be forced into round holes. I remind the Minister what she stated when she replied to the debate on the Sinn Féin Private Members' motion on special needs education in 2005, to which I referred. She said:

In particular the Minister for Finance is obliged to have due regard to the State's duty to provide for an education appropriate to the needs of every child under the Constitution and the necessity to provide equity of treatment for all children.

That is absolutely right. However, the Government has clearly failed to meet that obligation and children and parents are suffering as a result.

My time has almost concluded and I want to try to beat the Acting Chairman, Deputy Charlie O'Connor, to it if I can. I urge the Minister to reconsider what has been described, and what I view as her intransigent position, to withdraw her amendment and to work with the parents of children with autism, their teachers and all concerned in the education and health services to provide these children with the care and education they so badly need and so clearly deserve.

Deputy Brian Hayes

Hear, hear.

Debate adjourned.