Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

A lot has been said already. I feel very privileged and humbled to have listened to people's stories today. I missed the first session because I could not make it. It has really opened my eyes a bit further about how autism impacts on everybody in a different way. There are difficulties in getting involved with the legal system. The forms are complex. Life is not made easy for people who have autism to access the human rights they are entitled to receive. I thank the Cathaoirleach for really driving this particular session. As he said, our guests are the experts. They have lived it, no matter how early or late in life they have received a diagnosis of autism. Their expertise is going to hugely benefit and impact how we try to bring in legislation to support them in the future. I confirm that as a legislator, I will do everything in my power to do that and to work with the committee, because the committee has been very effective up to now. I hope that we can drive it home, as Mr. Harris said, and that it does not stop. There is another report to publish.

Before we finish our work, we need to ensure we put in the mechanisms that will deliver down the road possibly through the different committees on education, mental health and disability as well as in public transport etc. When we finish that, those mechanisms need to be there and we need to check continually how things are being implemented. I thank all the witnesses very much.