All new schools will have to provide for children with special needs from this year, according to a Junior Minister.

It comes after it emerged children with autism in parts of Dublin and Cork are being to travel long distances to access schools that cater for their needs.

New figures show that there are three times as many Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) classes in Deis schools than in other public schools.

On The Hard Shoulder this evening the Minister of State for Special Ecucation Josepha Madigan said steps are being taken to address their needs.

“The department has a special private transport scheme for children with special needs where the State will cover the cost of a taxi to and from school but it is far from ideal and it is really a blunt instrument,” she said.

“But there are a number of different things I am doing to try and tackle that. So, first of all, I think it is important to say that 197 new special classes have been established nationally for this year.

“From September of this year, we’ll have 1,200 additional special class places – so they are both positives.”

She said all new schools will be required to provide facilities for special classes moving forward.

“What we are dealing with at the moment obviously is a current cohort of children with special needs who are at school, whether they are primary school or post-primary school,” she said.

“My goal with this €2bn budget I have, I am trying to channel that into providing a special class place for those children.”

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