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

I thank all the speakers for coming in, particularly Ms Locke-Reilly and Ms Lavin, who gave us a fantastic insight. The great thing about this committee is that it is very humbling and we get a great indication of with people and advocates, such as them, are doing. It is extraordinary work and hopefully, in the fullness of time, it will benefit not only them but future generations.

Both Ms Locke-Reilly and Ms Lavin will have dark days ahead of them. They should never underestimate the work that they are doing, not just for themselves and their own families but also for countless families across the country. I know those families who are listening in are hugely appreciative of what the witnesses are doing.

I have a question for Dr. Roddy first. I greatly value the work that she is doing. This speaks to many of the misconceptions that exist about autism, particularly among people like us who are elected and are meant to make changes. A key line in the submission is about the research from the LSE. It counted the economic impact of autism as being £32 billion. We need to move from a situation where we consider autism as an economic cost and instead look at it as an economic opportunity. We see that when we put autism front and centre, particularly in companies, it can have a positive impact on the company and greatly enhance the whole work experience. From the witnesses' research, the costs are particularly frightening. One in three families faces debt as a result of having a child with autism in the family. If there is more than one child with autism, that issue is compounded. On the person-centred approach, is Dr. Roddy suggesting dropping some aspects of what is being done at the moment? Will she expand on that?