Rose Conway-Walsh (Mayo, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses for their submissions. This is a topic we have discussed many times. Anybody who has had a child, sibling or friend who has experienced bullying, particularly sustained bullying over time, will have no doubt about the link between bullying and student mental health problems.

Dr. O'Reilly highlighted the fact that there are no specific guidelines for schools and parents when it comes to supporting autistic students who experience bullying. Even more surprisingly, she stated that there is no research exploring the prevalence of common forms of bullying experienced by autistic students attending Irish schools. How is this lack of research affecting our ability to protect and support students with autism as well as parents and schools? How could this research be funded and supported?