Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 27 May 1992

Vol. 132 No. 15

Adjournment Matters. - Dublin School for Autistic Children.

Dr. Upton

I thank the Minister for taking the trouble to come in and listen to my contribution. I am concerned about a school for autistic children located at James Connolly House in Blanchardstown where I understand a number of autistic children are housed in what was a Portakabin. The building is a temporary structure and they were housed there on a temporary basis. They were located in this structure two years ago on the basis that it would be a short term arrangement but the situation has not been resolved.

Autistic children require a great deal of attention and pose a considerable teaching challenge to the people dealing with them. The class size is about six and that is as many as a teacher can cope with. I understand that the accommodation in Blanchardstown is overcrowded and I gather that there is a waiting list for places in the school for next year and subsequent years. The present accommodation situation will deteriorate unless a solution is found.

The present building is unsuitable. Windows are caged which is usually a feature of building sites and makes the opening of the windows difficult. It is inappropriate that autistic children should be located in that type of structure.

Because of the difficulties involved in dealing with autistic children, I understand the teacher needs assistance from a nurse or other suitably qualified person. This school had the services of an assistant, a nurse or a helper, who was involved in an accident, had to take sick leave and was not replaced. She has been on leave for quite some time and her absence makes the teacher's situation even more difficult.

The accommodation arrangement here is totally unsuitable and it is inappropriate that it should be allowed to drag on. There is already some degree of overcrowding and the situation is exacerbated by the loss of the teacher's assistant.

I ask the Minister to resolve the situation urgently by making resources available to alleviate the difficulties of persons caring for these children. The situation is a matter of grave concern to the parents who are anxious to obtain the best education for their children. I imagine that the amount of money required to resolve the situation is small but that extra provision would improve the quality of life of teaching staff and students and greatly alleviate the worries of the families involved.

Minister of State at the Department of Education (Mr. Aylward)

I thank the Senator for raising this matter and giving me the opportunity to explain the present position.

This special national school was recognised almost 30 years ago to provide for the educational needs of psychotic and severely disturbed children. It was originally located on campus with the Children's Unit, St. Loman's Psychiatric Hospital, Palmerstown. It was known as St. Loman's national school, and enrolment has been about 60 before the steady decline in recent years. The Eastern Health Board is the school patron and, following a reorganisation of its Child Psychiatric Services, one class and teacher were transferred in September 1988 to accommodation in Court Hall, a large dwellinghouse which had been acquired by the health board for use as a medium-term treatment centre in the Mulhuddart area. The remaining two teachers and their classes, comprising children whose special needs were more clearly long term, were transferred in September 1990 to accommodation located in the grounds of the James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown, and the school is now known as James Connolly House national school.

At present, the school is housed in two locations, i.e. Court Hall, Mulhuddart and James Connolly Memorial Hospital, Blanchardstown. These locations are approximately five miles apart. School accommodation in Court Hall comprises one ground floor room at present. Facilities for practical activities and physical education have yet to be provided — it is understood that a sink is to be fitted in the classroom in the near future. School accommodation at James Connolly House comprises a Portakabin structure with part use of one other room. At present the waste outlet from the Portakabin sink requires some further attention. Sanction from the Department for the accommodation at both locations is on a temporary basis, with that at James Connolly House being considered unsuitable for use as a school and approval being as a temporary measure until 30 June 1991.

Current enrolment is 17 pupils, 15 boys and two girls, and average attendance is exceptionally high at about 97 per cent. Age range is six to 18 years and about 75 per cent being post-primary age. Fifteen of the pupils are in five day residence, ten are from the greater Dublin area, four from other counties within and three from counties outside the Eastern Health Board area. Two classes are held in the James Connolly House and the Eastern Health Board has an input in the two groups of five and four — a total of nine pupils.

It is my intention to investigate the accommodation requirements and recommend the upgrading of the facilities so that the James Connolly House national school has adequate and suitable accommodation for its requirements. I will ask my professional advisers to report on conditions obtaining there so that the various sections and Departments can be approached in order to bring the facilities up-to-date and make provision for the education and the practical activities as recommended by my inspectors. It is my intention to do this at an early date and I will keep the Senator informed of progress.

Dr. Upton

I thank the Minister for his positive approach to this matter. I greatly appreciate that and encourage him to continue treating it as a top priority. I would be grateful if he could give some indication when the facilities would be upgraded and the timescale involved. I appreciate the positive attitude he has adopted to this matter which, as I am sure he will agree, is of great concern to the families concerned.