Special Educational Needs Service Provision

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 9 June 2015

Tuesday, 9 June 2015

Ceisteanna (1006)

Clare Daly

Ceist:

1006. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 810 of 26 May 2015, the reason her Department did not also facilitate the parents of the children who attended the two other service providers that existed at that time, in view of the fact that her Department was fully aware of their existence, as per departmental records dated 18 June 2007, but instead her Department decided to only offer an agreement to just one private commercial organisation, exclusively, for over five years, enabling that commercial company to expand to over 16 classes, while the two other service providers ended up closing their services, one of which was a parent-led charity set up because the parents were offered no educational service for their children when they were first diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (details supplied). [22339/15]

Freagraí scríofa

Minister for Education and Skills

The Deputy's question specifically refers to two organisations which the Deputy advises have since closed and, of which, one was a charitable organisation funded by parents. The Deputy has also provided correspondence indicating that officials in my Department knew in 2007 of (at least) two private organisations providing or proposing to provide services to children with Autism. I understand that, since then, my Department has become aware of a number of other organisations with similar aims. It is not possible to determine from this correspondence whether the two organisations to which the Deputy refers in the question are in fact the two organisations which were referenced in the correspondence provided. In order to deal fully with the Deputy's question it is necessary that the organisations to which the Deputy refers are identified so that the issues raised can be addressed.