An Oireachtas Committee has heard schools are 'crying out' and 'are struggling' to be authorised special classes.
Junior Education Minister, Josepha Madigan, has been appearing before the committee on autism, where she acknowledged some of the difficulties faced by schools.
Also raised was the number of qualified teachers, which the committee heard calls for those to be increased.
Sinn Fein TD Pauline Tully says they're badly needed:
"I have been told of cases where a young, newly qualified teacher has been told by the principal - 'oh you take the special class for a year or two, and then we'll give you a full time position.' That's not fair on the children. Those teachers are not qualified. It's not fair on the teacher either, but many of the teachers will do their utmost to teach those children but then they move on. So it's not fair on the children who are not getting the appropriate education."
