Throughout the country, many communities, schools, boards of management, parents' councils and teaching principals are trying to set up autism spectrum disorder, ASD, units for national schools. I have a situation in Fethard, County Tipperary, in the Holy Trinity national school where two years ago, they got agreement to set up two units and got the go-ahead from the Department of Education and Skills. The school now finds in 2019 that it must go back and retender for the extensions. There is too much bureaucracy. When we get schools that are willing to take these very special classes for very special children, I commend them and support them. I commend the special educational needs organiser, SENO, Ms Belinda Fitzgerald. Working together is what we want but there is too much bureaucracy in the Department and too many delays. This retendering is not work the schools or teaching principals should be doing anyway; it should be done by the Department. Ní neart go cur le chéile. When we get the people who want to help these less well-off children, who are very excellent in many ways but need the special classrooms, when we get the buy-in from the school communities, we need to move ahead with them, not have it so bureaucratic that they are waiting on a string with prices going up and frustration all around.

I am afraid I do not have the details of the situation in Fethard, but I am sure the Minister for Education and Skills does and would be able to give the Deputy a more detailed reply. We have done a considerable amount of work in the past few years in accommodating and supporting children with special needs. We have more special needs assistants and more special classes than ever before. ASD units are being built throughout the country. I have had the privilege to visit many of them, including in my constituency. They are being built, but obviously they have to put out to tender. Rather than the Department of Education and Skills doing it all centrally, it makes sense to allow schools to do it. It is often done more quickly when it is devolved locally.