Minister for Education Mary Hanafin has defended her department's record in providing education for children with special needs following this week's High Court ruling in a case taken by a seven-year-old boy with autism.
Ms Hanafin said her officials would talk to parents seeking to establish schools offering applied behavioural analysis (ABA) tuition, but added that she did not see the need for "a parallel system of education" to that provided by her department.
On Tuesday the High Court ruled Cian and Yvonne Ó Cuanacháin were not entitled to costs in an unsuccessful case in which they sought to force the State to provide their son Seán with ABA tuition.
The department has provided funding for 12 ABA schools, but has turned down applications by 11 others.
Ms Hanafin told RTÉ radio it was following best international practice by setting up special classes for children with autism involving a range of teaching methods, including ABA.
"ABA is a valuable teaching method but only one; it only teaches behaviour. We recognise we should also provide other methods as well."
Asked why so many groups have been denied recognition, the Minister said many did not have qualified teachers or a qualified principal, and were only following one method of teaching.
She said she recognised that parents of children with special needs had made many sacrifices. In recognition of this, the Government had expanded its services by providing extra classes and assistants.
However, Fine Gael's health spokesman Dr James Reilly said the Government had failed to provide an appropriate education for children with autism. The department would prefer to force the Ó Cuanacháin family to sell their home rather than accept a proven method of education for their son.
