I call Deputy Mattie McGrath.

I was going to raise the McCabe saga today, but there are so many other important issues and I will raise one of them. I raise the serious situation of the State once again failing children with disabilities. Today I will not speak about hospital waiting lists, Tusla, the children's hospital or any of the many other failures for those with disabilities, but about a child's constitutional right to education. In Clonmel today, parents of at least 11 young children with autism do not have a school to send their child to in September. This number is the minimum number and refers to a group of children that will leave an excellent autism spectrum disorder, ASD, unit in St. Mary's School in Irishtown in Clonmel that was set up by former principal, Mr. Gerry Ryan. These children have nowhere to go and this number does not include the many other children who have been recently diagnosed with autism and are struggling in mainstream schools with insufficient supports. They also require the support of an ASD unit. Currently Clonmel, the largest inland town in the country, has no ASD unit at primary level, so these five year olds, who are legally obliged to attend school, have nowhere to go in September. This is not just an issue for Clonmel. It is an issue for children in Carrick-on-Suir, Tipperary town, Clogheen and Fethard. For that matter, it is an issue for children throughout the country. We are at a crisis point and the State and the Department of Education and Skills have no concrete plans to ensure that these children will have access to education come September.

Last week I met, together with a group of concerned parents, two special educational needs officers, SENOs, from the National Council for Special Education, NCSE. They admitted that we are at crisis point and that their hands are tied. They cannot force schools to open a unit, yet currently no primary school in Clonmel is willing or able, for a variety of reasons, to open an ASD unit and people cannot get a school placement. The reality is that it could be 30 km away if they can get one as many of the excellent units in surrounding areas are already full to capacity and have huge waiting lists.

In response to a parliamentary question tabled this week, the Minister for Education and Skills informed me that he had no plans to change the situation to require schools by legislation to open an ASD unit where a need is identified and that he hoped schools would open such units voluntarily. Schools are doing their best, but they will not do that, so we will have to change the legislation. I hate the word "coerce" but we have to try a carrot and a stick. The situation in Clonmel and many other areas is that schools are not planning to open any units for a variety of reasons. We hear so much from Government about changing the ethos of schools, as if it is the only issue surrounding children getting access to education, yet it continues to ignore the most serious issues, where children with special needs are being discriminated against because they cannot access education, as is their right.

These children and parents do not have big organised lobby groups and the power of the media behind them. They have to fight for everything and are sick and tired of fighting the State for the services to which they are entitled and so badly need. These children are no different from those of the Taoiseach or from my children. What will the Government do to ensure that these students will have a place to attend this September, as required by law?

I thank Deputy Mattie McGrath for his question. He covered quite a number of schools in Tipperary. It is clear that this is an important issue for parents and guardians of children with special needs. The Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Bruton, has made quite a number of changes in respect of the way in which we are examining this matter. For instance, last year more than €1.5 billion was spent on special needs education for children throughout the country, which is a significant proportion of the education budget for this year. I say to Deputy McGrath and to the parents that the local SENO will assist parents in finding placements for their children. Further, the number of ASD classes has increased from more than 500 to more than 1,000 to meet the growing demand since 2011. The Minister of Education and Skills is very much aware of the issues and the Department will continue in its efforts. The Education (Admission to Schools) Bill 2016 allows the National Council for Special Education to oblige a school to accept a student with special needs. That is an important matter for the Deputy to discuss with parents. The Bill is currently before the Dáil and a further extension of the power will be considered when the Bill goes to Committee Stage.

Deputy Mattie McGrath has some positive news for parents of children with special needs and I am sure the Minister will regard the Deputy's comments as being a priority for the area.

I thank the Taoiseach and the Minister for Education and Skills, Deputy Richard Burton, but what people with children with autism or an ill or sick child with special needs do not want to hear is that €1.5 billion is being allowed for special needs education. What they want is a place for their child who they love and cherish. We all love these very special children. The Taoiseach stated that the special educational needs officers will help. They are doing their best but they cannot coerce the schools or make them take these children. This is an important issue.

The Taoiseach mentioned the Education (Admission to Schools) Bill, which we have examined, and I hope the Minister will engage positively with the tabled amendments to try to strengthen the Bill so that schools will be obliged to take children who have received a diagnosis. Many parents paid huge sums of money to get a private diagnosis because they were waiting in the system for years and schools miss the most vital areas. We all know early intervention and diagnosis are vital. I appeal to the Taoiseach and his Cabinet, particularly the Minister for Education and Skills, to meet these people. We have tabled some amendments and I appeal to the Minister to accept them and not to vote them down. This is a big problem not only in Clonmel and Tipperary but throughout the country. Schools for some reason are not engaging. They have many good reasons and I am not saying they should but we must make it more necessary and oblige them to take children with this diagnosis. These children cannot go to pre-school and end up with no national schooling. It beggars belief.

That is precisely why the Minister has made changes and the schools admissions Bill is before the Dáil. The powers under this Bill will allow for the National Council for Special Education to require schools to accept a pupil who has special needs.

We do not have an ASD unit.

The Bill is before the Dáil and the issue of extending this power will be considered further when it goes before the committee. I hope it will be able to make its way through the Oireachtas as quickly as possible. While this is an issue all over the country, the number of classes has increased from 500 to more than 1,000 since 2011. Progress is being made and I hope the parents of children in Tipperary and every other county will see the benefit of that in due course. We cannot do everything overnight but hopefully the Bill, when it is passed and becomes law, will add to the opportunity for parents who have children with special needs to be taken into schools where special educational needs organisers, SENOs, will work with them..