(Ireland) "Unprecedented demand for ASD Units within national schools in recent years"

July 12, 2018, (Ireland) Dublin Gazette: LACK OF AUTISM UNITS IN LUCAN AREA ‘SHOCKING’ https://dublingazette.com/news/west-dublin-news/lack-autism-units-lucan-area-shocking-47393/ The Lucan area has seen an unprecedented demand for ASD Units within national schools in recent years. Cllr Danny O’Brien (SF) said the situation was “shocking”. He said: “Due to the lack of ASD units and, therefore lack of available places, parents are finding themselves in the frustrating and often traumatic situation of trying to find a suitable place for their child, who requires a special needs setting to support and provide the best option in assisting them on the road of progression…. Cllr O’Brien has raised a motion at today’s Lucan Area Committee meeting of South Dublin County Council, calling on Minister for Education Richard Bruton to put a plan in place to provide more ASD Units in the national schools in Lucan. A spokesperson for the Department of Education said it will invest €1.75 billion [$2.6B U.S.] into educating children with special needs – an increase of 43% from 2011…. She added: “The greater proportion of children with Autism attend mainstream classes, but some students may find it difficult to manage full-time placement there and will require the environment of an ASD special class for some or all of their time in school and for a minority of children with Special Educational Needs including Autism, placements in a Special School may be required.”… The NCSE has informed the Department that they have sanctioned 19 new special classes in Dublin for the 2018/19 school as part of an ongoing process.