Funding of €150,000 is to be allocated for a guide dogs centre in Cork, Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe said today.
The funding is aimed at helping the centre develop its assistance programme for children with autism.
“The assistance dog brings about significant behavioural changes and improved manageability in autistic children who develop a close personal bond with the animal,” Mr O’Keeffe said.
“The dog, who undergoes an intense two-year training programme, can calm the child and help him to ignore external stimuli in public places,” he added.
Earlier this year, Mr O’Keeffe announced €72,000 to help the centre to develop its mobility services.
