Reversal of ASD unit for Tipperary school 'absolutely outrageous'

A Tipperary TD has written to the Minister for Education Joe McHugh seeking the immediate reversal of the decision to withdraw approval for the delivery of an additional autism support unit (ASD) at the CBS High School in Clonmel. 

The school received an initial letter of approval to enable the delivery of an additional ASD unit last June.

“However, by the end of that month approval was withdrawn. It was then reinstated in July. It was on that basis that the children were enrolled in September,” Independent TD Mattie McGrath says. 

“We now have a scenario where the school is trying desperately to accommodate 24 children in a unit originally designed for 12. This is absolutely outrageous, and it will not be tolerated.”

Deputy McGrath says the ASD facility already at the CBS High School provides “excellent and professional support”, which he describes as “vitally important”.

He adds: “They enable the staff to target a variety of teaching approaches to promote greater peer interaction and to assist children with ASD to leave school with the skills necessary to participate to the level of their capacity in an inclusive way.

“The parents, pupils and staff are all profoundly upset and concerned about this withdrawal of support from the Department of Education, as is to be expected. I will be making every effort to ensure that the commitments that were provided to the CBS High School are honoured in full and that the unit becomes operational as soon as possible.”