I am very concerned about any plans to pause or review plans for ASD classes in rural areas. In a response to a parliamentary question the Minister for Education stated that, due to falling demographics at primary level, the Department "considers it prudent to maximise the use of existing spare accommodation capacity ... in the first instance, before considering any applications for further accommodation needs." She added: "It is also likely that most of the new additional ... classes may be required in [big] population centres."

Burncourt National School, which is waiting for sign-off for modular accommodation for a sanctioned class, and St. Michael's Junior Boys School in Tipperary, a town with no ASD unit at primary level, are both meeting a brick wall in progressing new classes. In Newcastle, An Caisleán Nua, my local school, has had an application for additional accommodation ongoing since 2017 and has been further delayed. This is simply not good enough. These areas have approval in some cases and they just cannot get the work and get the positions for those children who need these services badly.

I will seek an update on that situation. The Government's perspective is that it wants to increase autism classes. I do not mean this in relation to Deputy McGrath's comments but we should not just use the term "ASD" because autism is obviously not a disorder. The Government is committed to increasing the number of autism classes. I will ask the Minister of State, Deputy Naughton, and the Minister, Deputy Foley, to engage with the Deputy directly.