Mary Mitchell O'Connor (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank our guests for coming. It has taken me a year to get them here and I was trying to do so before the issue arose on Joe Duffy's radio programme.

I would like a member of the panel to explain how important it is for a child with autism to have an assistance dog and to talk about how the life of a family and, more importantly, the child is transformed. I do not think people understand this. I have to put up my hand and say I did not understand it - I was a school principal in charge of 600 plus children - until I saw how it had transformed a child's life in the home. People will be listening to these proceedings or may track them at a later stage. It is important, therefore, that this information be outlined for the families concerned and also on the issue of access and the problems people encounter in travelling on public transport and retail shops. We all talk about this issue but not too many really understand it.

I heard Mr. Andrew Geary being interviewed on "Morning Ireland" and what he had to say here about training hearing assistance dogs. It was new to me. I did not know about it until I spoke to him and I have spoken to him on numerous occasions by telephone. I became interested in it when one of my constituents contacted me and talked about the third issue in an article that had been submitted. It concerns the current allowances granted by Revenue for guide dogs. People with assistance dogs for children with autism do not receive the same revenue allowances as others. For the information of those listening to these proceedings who are interested in this issue, the dogs are very sensitive in terms of their diet. They have to be taken to the vet and are not a family pet. They are well trained and their diets, if not properly controlled, can completely wreck or change them.

It was not until I heard the Joe Duffy show that I realised there were other operators - the rogue operators as Mr. Geary described them. That is not good enough. It is very expensive to train these dogs and parents of children with special needs cannot afford to fork out money for something that is not going to work for them and that will cause more hassle in their lives. For the benefit of anyone following these proceedings who is interested in this issue, there is a lovely summary in an article of how an assistance dog can change the life a child with autism. It states: "As a result of the use of the dog, the child often begins paying attention to other people, sometimes even engaging and speaking to them".

Children who have been uncommunicative for years can begin to make friends. For many parents, this is little short of a miracle - one that is only possible through the support of the organisations concerned. I saw that happen in a constituent's house. I saw how things were both before and after the child became attached to the dog. I could not believe it. It transformed things. It was a miracle. We want to do the best for the organisations and resolve the different issues that emerged during the summer. I am interested in how education leaders understand how a dog can transform a child's life. Perhaps the dog should be allowed in the school environs. Perhaps that is what we need to think of. I would like the witnesses to address that aspect.