Joe Flaherty (Longford-Westmeath, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I know we have touched a great deal on the question of summer provision but I believe there is capacity there if we could get more third level students involved in summer provision. The greatest way to come to terms with autism is to make it part of mainstream life where people come face-to-face with it. Many of the people in the room are fortunate in that they have relatives or family who have a diagnosis. If we were to do an initiative across third level, obviously with the people who are studying therapies, and the Department has made provision now that they can come in, that would also be very fulfilling for students. We could do recruitment across third level institutions to get students to be a volunteer – they would obviously be paid - and to get involved in the summer provision. It would be a very significant opportunity because they would bring back that learning experience, the value and the added skills to their peers in college. That would be a great window and opportunity to let these people get involved.

It is something the Department should try to pioneer at third level. It is a huge opportunity. Regardless of what career people go into, such an arrangement would open up many opportunities for them and teach them great life skills. Whether a person becomes a CEO or a professional tennis player, he or she will deal with people with autism. We are better now at diagnosing it. The more people there are with the skills to identify autism and to assist people with autism, the better. That would be a huge asset. The Department might look at running a recruitment campaign across third level for participants in the summer provision next year.