WATCH: Dáil told lack of autism class places in Athlone at crisis point for 11 children

A South Roscommon TD has called for immediate action from the Government to address what he described as a crisis situation in which 11 local children are finishing primary school and currently have no secondary school place for September.

After previously highlighting the matter in the Dáil four weeks ago, Deputy Denis Naughten raised it again on Tuesday of this week.

"Despite Minister Josepha Madigan assuring me four weeks ago that these local children would have access to an autism-specific class, their parents have yet to receive any details of where they will be going to school," he stated.

"Where parents have been told that the school place is up to 100km away, they have been provided with no details of how their child is to get to school and who is going to pay the astronomical fuel bill these families are now facing.

"The lack of secondary school places for children with autism in Athlone and South Roscommon will force 11 students to travel up to 150,000 km over the next school year because of the failure to provide autism classes in schools any nearer than Glenamaddy in County Galway.

"So much for climate change, and so much for helping families with the cost of living,” Deputy Naughten told the Dáil.

"Four weeks ago, the Minister of State told me she was meeting with the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) the following day and that she was going to bring up the crisis situation in Athlone and South Roscommon.

"She told me that the NCSE was confident it would meet the demands for special class places and special school places for this September in both Roscommon and Athlone, and that there would be sufficient capacity for those children from September this year.

"But to date not one of the parents has been contacted or has heard anything from the Department of Education.

"These children should be entitled to an education in their own town along with their schoolmates and their brothers and sisters and I don’t think it is too much to ask."

You can view Deputy Naughten's comments here:

Responding, the Minister of State with responsibility for Special Education, Josepha Madigan, said she was conscious that this was "a very emotive topic" for thousands of families across the country.

"I realise that every case of a child with special education needs is different. I have met many parents recently and I want to let them know that we are listening," she said.

"I emphasise that the Government is committed to ensuring that each child with a special educational need has an appropriate school place, in line with their constitutional right and under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities."