Marc Ó Cathasaigh (Waterford, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

I thank the witnesses, both for the opening statements and the testimony. I will pick up on the last point first, that is, the idea of human rights. The trap into which all of us fall, even those on this committee, is in talking about autistic people as if they were one type of person. It does as much good as talking about a Waterford person as one type of person. There will be the same cross-section of ability, aptitude, humour and personality. It is enough to say they may share some common attributes. I think Ms Locke-Reilly said that to talk exclusively about how they could be wonderful, productive members of society if only we could get them through third level is not to understand the cross-section of people we are talking about. It is entirely inappropriate.

We did about two years of very little sleep. It was only two years but, my God, I know the pressure it places on people and my heart goes out to Ms Locke-Reilly. Two years were enough of it. I was very glad when it passed. We know on this committee that one of the attributes of neurodivergent people can be disrupted sleep patterns. It puts considerable pressure on families. There is no saying it otherwise.

Dr. Roddy's statement is stark but it is factual. Autism is recognised as the most expensive condition internationally. I know our understanding of autism is evolving all the time and she may not have longitudinal research. However, are there any contexts we can look at to better understand - I am loathe to say - value for money? We know investing early produces better outcomes in the long run. As policymakers, it is useful for us to be able to key in to those facts and figures, notwithstanding what Ms Locke-Reilly was saying about facts and figures not showing families. If we wish to make policy on a national level, can we point to research that makes all the clearer the argument that investing early represents - a phrase I do not like to use - good value for money?

It is difficult to have any conversation about access to mental health services at present without having regard to the CAMHS report. People with autism are generally excluded from CAMHS because they have that kind of co-diagnosis and yet, the implications of mental health among the autism community include anxiety and suicidal ideation. I will leave Dr. Roddy an opportunity to elaborate on the idea of personalised care pathways, which goes back to my first point that not all autistic people are the same or wish to access services the same way.

I want to give Dr. Roddy and others an opportunity to speak more about naturalistic types of supports. I am not sure that I understand those supports as well as I would like. She referred to "social prescribing" in her opening statement. I have a rudimentary understanding of that and ask her to elaborate on it a little.