Mr. Adam Harris:

In terms of the level of engagement we see from Departments, as I alluded to earlier, we see some really good engagement in some places, and it is proactive and is very much an ongoing engagement. In other instances, we see less engagement. What that partially comes to is that ongoing dance between the desire to centralise and have a strong centralised disability policy on the one hand and every Department realising this is still for everybody as well on the other . We need space to strategically think about disability but it is a job for every Department as well under the UNCRPD. That is very much a culture piece that still needs to be worked on.

The other concern I have is that often consultations are not accessible. That is why these new NDA guidelines are important. I have been at round-table discussions on autism in loud rooms with no quiet space with minimal information in advance and that does not get the best out of everyone. Not only that, it does not show respect for the people who are coming to offer their expertise.

What we have to think about is that disabled people are very often called on to be consulted frequently. Not everybody within the disability community is interested in getting or has the capacity to get involved in these issues. It is often a small cohort of volunteer advocates who are being invited to a huge amount of meetings.

We need to think more about how we can resource and support people to do that. The reality is that many people within our community are still living on a disability allowance that, even after the increase in the budget, is offensive. It is not possible to live a decent life on it. When people are being asked to travel long distances, there is an expense aspect to that that needs to be considered as well.

In respect of our own organisation and where we struggle a little, we have one policy officer and we get approximately half of that person's salary contributed. That is the sole resourcing we have for our policy work. Every year we have our own work plan. For example, this year we are preparing a report on access to education in autism, looking specifically at suspension, expulsion and reduced timetables. One of the challenges is that we also have to respond to whatever pops up on the news, such as the issues with schools and CAMHS that arose during the summer. We also get sudden surprises from an Oireachtas committee or a Department wanting to consult with us. All of those opportunities are very welcome, but with one person they are very hard to manage. That is a challenge.

On the point that Ms Gallagher asked me to chip in on, I very much agree with everything that she said. I will definitely read the paper. For us, the depiction of autistic people in the media is an ongoing challenge. Sometimes it can be really positive, and we even see positive shifts in popular culture. I can even point to the fact that the Thomas the Tank Engine "Thomas & Friends" series will soon feature an autistic train called Bruno the Brake Car, actually voiced by a nine-year-old autistic boy in the UK. These sorts of initiatives are important. However, when we look at the media every week we are told that there is a new cause for autism or read some sensational headline. Very negative language can be used about autism at times, which does stigmatise and damage. There is a need to have more media education. I think that is most important.