The North's Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness has pledged that a North-South autism support centre, which has been on hold for the past five years, will be open in the near future.
Mr McGuinness, who visited the centre in Middletown, Co Armagh with Sinn Féin Minister for Education Caitríona Ruane yesterday, said the departments of education in the North and South were "on course" to open it by December.
Mr McGuinness and Ms Ruane said they travelled to Middletown yesterday to personally reaffirm their commitment to the all-island centre of excellence for the education of children and young people with autism.
It cost £3 million to purchase the former St Joseph's Adolescent Centre and a further £4 million is being spent on refurbishment of the complex, which will cater for 140 placements per year, on both a residential and non-residential basis.
In April 2002, Mr McGuinness, the then minister for education, together with his counterpart in the Republic, Dr Michael Woods, announced plans for the centre in April 2002. It was agreed and endorsed by the North-South Ministerial Council.
It was scheduled to begin operating in autumn 2003 but was delayed following the collapse of the northern executive in October 2002.
"Autism recognises no borders and in tackling it we also need to adopt an all-island approach just as we should in developing our response across the range of special needs," Mr McGuinness said.
Ms Ruane said a board of directors and chief executive had been appointed and plans were advanced for the necessary refurbishment.
The centre would offer learning support, educational assessment, training and advice, and autism research and information, she added. "The services that will be offered will be the best these islands have to offer. Not only will they help children with autism, but will help educators to better understand how to identify and treat the needs of this condition," she said.
SDLP education spokesman Dominic Bradley said: "This project is an important piece of North-South co-operation and I welcome the fact that the return of devolution has meant we could cut through the many delays and get something moving at last for all the children with autistic spectrum disorders and for their families."
