Micheál Carrigy (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

That leaves me as the final speaker. First, Ms Crawford’s comments about top-down, bottom-up is what this committee is about. We want to hear from people and from parents to be able to form a bottom-up proposal to Government so that when we produce our report at the end of next March, there will be recommendations that will make change. It is incumbent on us as public representatives, as well as on whoever may follow us as the years go on, to make sure that it is a living report; we must make sure that all of those recommendations are implemented over as short a number of years as is possible.

I compliment Ms McSherry in particular on the course that she is doing and the fact that, as she said, it is empowering parents to be advocates in their own community. We need to get a better understanding of what autism is among the general public. We, as committee members, as well as individuals like me, as a parent, are still learning. It is important that the general public knows and accepts autistic people in the community and that we make sure that we put the supports in place.

I have a question surrounding Ms McSherry’s reference to the course as self-funded. Where is the blockage to that course being funded? Could she expand on that?