I am disappointed that the appropriate Minister is not present to take this matter. With respect to the Minister of State, Deputy Parlon, I hope this is not evidence of a lack of interest in this area.
The result of the first two phases of the regional autism spectrum disorder service survey, published in November 2002, confirmed that the number of children diagnosed with autism in County Kerry in the age range two years six months to 17 years 11 months was 65. Of these, 63 are receiving services in Kerry and two are receiving them in Cork. A further 32 children currently displaying autistic symptoms are waiting to be diagnosed. The survey has still to be completed in mainstream schools. Phase 5 of the survey will identify children suffering from Asperger's syndrome, which is similar to autism.
There are 18 children diagnosed with autism at Nano Nagle special school, Listowel. Six moderately autistic children are catered for in a special class in the school. Until recently, this class was held in a portacabin at the rear of the existing school. As a result of the overcrowded conditions in the portacabin, with six pupils, five classroom assistants, one teacher and the necessary equipment all occupying the same space, the school authorities had no option but to move the class into the school dining area, resulting in the other seven classes, comprising 66 children, ten teachers and 21 assistants, having to have lunch in their classrooms. This is totally unfair to all concerned. The children are not being exposed to the vital social skills they would learn in proper dining room facilities and it is very unfair to the staff.
I wish to highlight the fact that a class for severe and profound special needs is being conducted in another portacabin at the rear of the school. Three of the class have to be tube fed and two of the children suffer from severe epilepsy. One of the children suffers from seizures that can last up to 15 minutes. There is little space to control this type of seizure. Equipment was provided to deal with the problem but it is difficult to use because of the lack of space. This could have fatal consequences.
An extension has been approved for Nano Nagle special school which will include two classes for autistic children and two for those with severe and profound special needs, a woodwork room, in which pupils will be provided with basic woodwork training and craft skills, a multidisciplinary room and a multisensory room. A playground is also included in the plans. This was approved some years ago but was never provided. Showers and changing facilities, which are vital not only from a hygiene point of view but are also necessary to develop the social skills of the pupils, will also be provided.
The architects are awaiting approval from the Department of Education and Science to apply for planning permission. Surely this project will have to be included in the list of school projects that will proceed in 2004. I invite the Minister of State's colleague, the Minister for Education and Science, to visit the school when he is Kerry in the future. A large number of Ministers have visited the constituency recently, but none visited this particular school.
It is totally unacceptable that the teachers, the special needs assistants and the 72 children have to endure the type of conditions that obtain at the school. The building is new but it is overcrowded and cannot cope with the numbers currently on-site. It is no longer acceptable that the conditions to which I refer should continue to obtain in what is considered to be one of the wealthiest countries per capita in the EU.
I urge the Minister of State, although this is not his area of responsibility, to communicate the concerns of the teachers and parents of children at Nano Nagle special school to the Minister for Education and Science. This is a special case and priority should be given to it when the Estimates, in which funding will be provided for educational facilities in 2004, are announced next week.
