Vol. 487 No. 8
111 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Education and Science if his attention has been drawn to the crisis which parents with autistic children face owing to the lack of pre-school services for children with autism; and the plans and funding, if any, to be made available so that these children with special needs can be cared for. [5308/98]
The provision of pre-school services for children with disabilities is the responsibility of the health authorities. In March of this year I will be holding a national forum on early childhood education. The object of the forum is to allow all groups with an interest in early childhood education, including those providing services for children with special needs, to put forward their views as to how best to co-ordinate and support the development of services in this area. The outcome of the forum will provide an important input into policy decisions on the future development of pre-school education services, including services for children with special education needs.
