Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Taoiseach. I am here as the Chairperson of the Joint Committee on Autism. First, I thank the Government for its support in the setting up of the committee and, indeed, for nominating me as Chairman of that committee. Like Deputy Bacik's, it is a time-limited committee limited to nine months. Currently, we are working on the work programme and plan to sit in public session from June onwards.

We plan as a committee to look at policy, the implementation of policy and the legislation relevant to people with autism. We will be meeting in public and hearing from people with autism, their families, their friends and their representative bodies, as well as Departments and Government agencies, and Ministers also.

The Minister of State at the Department of Health with responsibility for disability, Deputy Rabbitte, and a working group is currently developing an autism innovation strategy in line with the programme for Government. My question is, should the strategy address such issues as long waiting times for assessment of needs, limited access to assessment, and intervention of services and support for children in schools to ensure full inclusion in education? I welcome the recent comments from the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Harris, with regard to supports at third level through his Department. We have serious issues. In a Commencement matter I raised this morning in respect of Athlone alone, there are eight families that do not have a place for their child in September and who are looking at a return journey of over 100 km each day to secure a place for their child. The strategy should also address support for people with autism to ensure meaning employment. A recent survey by AsIAm stated that 85% of persons with autism are unemployed or underemployed. How could the strategy benefit the lives of people with autism and their families?