Violet-Anne Wynne (Clare, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank all the witnesses. It has been a thorough, whirlwind journey through some of the direct lived experiences of people with autism and people's experience within their own families. It is commendable how everyone can synthesise so much into so little time. I genuinely thank them all for doing that and for providing the committee with such powerful statements to inform our action and work.

Everyone on the committee will be disappointed to hear of Ms Kearns's experience. It is very disappointing that at this stage no professional has seen her son. If there is any way that the committee can help with that issue, I think we would be up for the challenge.

My son was diagnosed with autism in 2017. I spend a lot of time wondering what state Ireland will be in. I understand how bad it is now but I wonder about the years to come. His childhood has been a challenge, trying to access any kind of consistent and tailored service in the public sphere, particularly as we are based in rural west Clare. I hope that through awareness, policy and legislative change, we can remedy and resolve some of the barriers and battles that each of those before the committee have spoken of today so that exclusion and inequality is not as pervasive for disabled people in the future.

My colleague, Deputy Funchion, brought forward a Bill that, while passed unanimously, was never developed. It would have established a cross-party committee mandated with producing an autism strategy within six months. We do not need commitment after commitment to make a national autism strategy. One commitment should be enough and it should be followed through.

I will turn first to Mr. Harris. His opening statement began by using the terms "charity" and "rights-based". For many, care for marginalised people and equality groups in Ireland was left solely in the hands of religious groups. He mentioned "paternalistic grace". We are a country with a plethora of charities that are predominantly not rights-based. How should we transform them so that we would have a more social model, with a person-centred and rights-based approach and culture?

My second question is to anyone who wants to comment. Recently the Autism Spectrum Disorder Bill 2017 was discussed in the Dáil. I feel this is language we should move away from. As individuals with direct lived experience, what labels work and do not work? Is it simply a matter of personal preference?

The behavioural interventionist therapies to which Ms Kearns referred are not grounded in human rights and agency. She said there is no data or research on the prevalence of these techniques being used. Is it through anecdotal evidence that she is aware of such therapies being used? Can she give more information so that we can come up with an action to prevent them from being used into the future or any further information on that?