Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Last week we had the HSE and the Department before the committee and it was a daunting session. There was a sense of people giving pats on the back. I mean no disrespect about all the great work that is being done but then listening to parents and the experience on the ground it is different. I would encourage the Department to look over what people have said in the committee today. Last week it was trying to pull teeth to make the point that it is not working. The hurtful thing is they were defiant in saying that it is working.

We have little to no power. For me as someone from the Traveller community I would always say there should be nothing about us without us and I cannot speak on behalf of a mother with an autistic child because I am lucky enough not to have an autistic child. I do not want to take up those spaces and we only have so much power but I would encourage the Department to look and see that not one shoe fits all, that the service is not fit for purpose and to ask how we change it. Thankfully the committee has cross-party support and it is a positive committee.

Opportunities for autistic people to socialise outside of school have a huge impact and benefit on people's mental health.

What does school transport mean for these children? When I first joined this committee, there were discussions about opening special schools. While we need special schools, we also need special classes and supports to meet children where they are. Not every child who is autistic needs to attend a special school. I might have been unclear but this is my point. In Donegal, as I said at last week's meeting, some parents have to wake their children at 6 a.m. in order that they can travel from one end of the county to another. What impact does that have on a child's well-being and mental health?

Our guests spoke about the NCSE issuing new guidelines. If they have anything they might like to add on that, they might do so. I could ask many questions, but we have only one bite at the cherry with the recommendations that will go into the report, as I have been saying to every group who appears before the committee. The committee runs for only a few more weeks, so it is important to hear its recommendations to the Department and the HSE. What needs to be put in place for children, and for parents as well?

I apologise if I was ranting but I want to hear more views and recommendations from our guests as parents using the services, given some people might think it is all hunky-dory when it comes to the Department.