A range of measures to help autistic children, including more special needs assistants and a pre-school education service, are to be introduced by the Minister for Education, Dr Woods.
Autistic children aged over three years will be entitled to places on the pre-school service, designed to prepare them for primary education. Dr Woods is also planning to extend the school year for all autistic classes to July.
Dr Woods said the number of special needs assistants - who work with autistic children in conventional schools - would be doubled. Teacher training courses at St Patrick's College, Drumcondra, Dublin, and Birmingham University would also be provided, with 25 teachers starting in January.
Dr Woods also promised to set up an "inter-departmental team of high-level officials to co-ordinate our response to the needs of autistic children."
The actions follow last week's High Court judgment when an autistic man, Mr Jamie Sinnott, aged 23, was awarded £255,000 for having his constitutional right to a free education denied.
In the Dail on Wednesday Dr Woods declined to say whether the Department of Education would appeal this judgment. He said the advice of the Attorney General was being taken.
"In addition to these measures, I am appointing an internationally recognised expert in the field of autism to advise me and my Department on the development of services in this area and to liaise with the work of the special task force on autism, which I recently established and which will report to me within three months."
He added: "I am also appointing a clinical psychologist to advise me on the needs of individual pupils with autism."
In October 1998, the Government formally recognised the educational needs of children with autism. They are currently being catered for in 63 special classes, each with a pupil-teacher ratio of 6:1.