I propose to take Questions Nos. 218 and 219 together.
The Deputy will be aware of my commitment to ensuring that all children, including those with autism, receive an education appropriate to their needs, preferably in school settings where children may have access to individualised education programmes (IEPs), fully-qualified professional teachers who have received additional training in autism, special needs assistants, the appropriate school curriculum with the option, where possible and appropriate, of full/partial integration and interaction with other pupils.
This approach promotes the maximum level of inclusion which accords with the intent of the EPSEN Act. While some children may be able to attend a mainstream class at primary or post primary level with or without support, for others the most appropriate provision may be in a special class or unit in the school.
As the Deputy will be aware, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is responsible, through its network of local Special Educational Needs Organisers, for the establishment of special classes for autism and for allocating resource teachers and special needs assistants to schools to support children with special needs. In excess of 275 autism-specific classes have now been approved around the country at primary and post primary level. The NCSE is continuing to establish classes as required, and has advised that it is planning towards the first ASD class at post primary level in Co. Mayo, provisionally scheduled to open in the 2008/2009 school year.