Mark Wall (Labour) | Oireachtas source

It is great that we have another chance to talk to Mr. Harris. I join with colleagues in thanking him and AsIAm for everything they do for autistic people in this State. It is wonderful that Ireland has an organisation like AsIAm with Mr. Harris at its helm for people who need him. He has outlined many issues for us. I totally agree with Deputy Flaherty that this committee has been established with a nine-month remit and we want to know what we can do to make changes in such a short time. Mr. Harris outlined a number of issues that we need to take on board, and quickly, during the period. I know the Chair is very positive about doing so and preparing our report.

I was alarmed by the fact that there is an 80% unemployment rate in the autism community, which was outlined in the presentation, and I ask Mr. Harris to outline how we can totally reduce that percentage. However, I am aware of a number of services in my own area of County Kildare that help people. A number of towns near me are what is called "autism-friendly". I suspect that they are part of the education piece Mr. Harris mentioned in his introduction. What is his opinion of autism-friendly towns? Does he believe it is a good initiative? Are there advantages and disadvantages? Portlaoise is now an autism-friendly town and Councillor Noel Twomey contacted me recently about the initiative. How can we develop the autism-friendly model and ensure that towns are friendly? Like my colleagues, I have been in shops when autistic people arrived and they were looked at, which is not good enough and is an issue that must be addressed quickly.

I mentioned a lack of the July programmes in many places to the Minister of State. One of the issues I asked her to consider, and I know that the Chair is involved in this matter too, is central locations for the July programme where we do not have enough teachers, SNAs, etc., to provide the programme. The big town of Newbridge, which is in my own area of County Kildare, cannot provide a programme yet there are three or four secondary schools and multiple primary schools in the area. I ask Mr. Harris to comment on the July programme and ask him to support this initiative. As he well knows, a lack of routine for children, particularly during the summer months, is a major cause of concern for families. I believe that this committee needs to address the issue and make recommendations. I know that the Minister of State supports the initiative and I ask for the view of AsIAm.

Mr. Harris mentioned in his introduction that the Autism Europe Congress will take place in 2025 and will be attended by numerous stakeholders. As we have discussed before with Mr. Harris, Malta has been touted as an example of what we should do better in this country and maybe there is something in Malta that this committee should examine. The Minister of State said that her officials have been in contact with their counterparts in Malta and discovered that there are things that they do well that we could copy while there are things that we do well that they would like to copy. I ask Mr. Harris to give European examples that this committee can look at and present to the Minister of State at the end of our nine-month remit.

Finally, Mr. Harris mentioned how much it costs for an adult to get a diagnosis and I raised the following again this morning. Almost on a weekly basis, and sometimes on a daily basis, I deal with families who cannot afford that cost. It is essential that people get an early diagnosis and we all know why. Where can we go to secure support for these families? I asked the Minister of State that question and she told me that we will have that and that she is developing a model that will support families in their pursuit of a diagnosis. Many families simply cannot afford a diagnosis because they cannot get it publicly and have tried to secure a private diagnosis but the cost was prohibitive. Has AsIAm considered a model? Can Mr. Harris suggest a model that we, as a committee, can recommend that the State provides as a help to families who simply cannot afford he cost of a diagnosis?