Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Thank you, Chair. I sometimes go back to the saying that nobody knows the shoe is cutting a person except the person who is wearing it. That is the reason this committee was set up, that is, to listen to the voices. However, I am sick of listening, and that is the God's honest truth. I am sick of listening to the issues across other committees without any action. I hope this committee will implement some of the actions each and every witness brought up here today. It is a prime example of the saying that if you want the job done, you have to do it yourself. I refer to many of these organisations, parents groups and hubs were set up. I know that in Ardara, County Donegal, parents, and more so women, are coming together and setting up support groups for each other. AsIAm, the national organisation, provides training and we, as a committee, have had that training.

AsIAm provides very appropriate training and that should be implemented in every school. We must provide children with whatever supports they need. Not every child requires a place in a special school and may only need a special class.

I do not mean to be controversial but there are a hell of a lot of Ministers. We have the Minister for Education; the Minister of State at the Department of Education, Deputy Madigan, who has responsibility for special education and inclusion; and the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. With so many people the can is kicked down the road. I have seen that myself as an activist and as a person who works closely with organisations such as AsIAm and Independent Living Movement Ireland plus there are autistic adults too. Do the organisations represented here find that when they raise issues with Ministers that have been told that the issues are not within the remit of that Department?

I am a member of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Education, Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science. It is a very effective committee as there is cross-party support for issues. I also work closely with some of the Departments, unions and the Department of Education on issues which cry out for mental health supports to be provided in all of the schools. These supports must be implemented as well. Parents, young people and organisations provide solutions and answers but there is a lack of political will. This committee enjoys cross-party support for the provision of better services. We are not looking for autistic children and adults to receive special treatment just to receive their basic human rights and supports. There are no supports in place for parents or families so they and the organisations must find that draining and feel like they are banging their heads off a brick wall when they seek answers. This committee has only recently been established and it is good to bring people in here such as the mothers of autistic children and the people affected but we need implementation. We know the situation with the summer programme, having listened to parents, so now there must be implementation because otherwise we could be here this time next year talking about what we need. We know the answers and this is really about implementation. In terms of dealing with different Departments though, not Ministers as such, have the delegations experienced the same as what I think others have experienced?