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

I echo the comments of Deputy Buckley. It is a really positive initiative. It is wonderful to see public libraries step into that space. They are such important spaces for civic engagement. They are such democratising spaces in terms of people's access to information, and how it levels the playing field for so many people - or should do - when the library service works well. It certainly sounds like the Watch House Cross library service is working well in that regard. When I was reading the opening statements, I recalled a debate I had, going back some years, about the difference between integration and inclusion. It was explained to me that integration is the idea that you ask somebody to move towards the mainstream in order to participate, whereas inclusion is actually broadening the mainstream and allowing more space for people to get involved in a really inclusive way.

It seems that is very much what the council has done here. When we talk about the design of public spaces and things like universal design, we should be cognisant of the fact that this does not just benefit autistic people, and that when we design along the lines of these principles, all of us, at some stage of our lives, would benefit from this. I have three small children at home. If I was given a quiet room where I could go and lock myself in, I would certainly avail of it. All of us, at whatever stage of our lives, will benefit from some of these accommodations. I think it is very positive.

I was looking at the other side of the coin at the weekend. Waterford is seeking to become the first autism-friendly city and it is looking at trying to make these kinds of accommodations across businesses. There is a very positive role to be played by the council and the library service, just as Limerick City and County Council has done, not only in having this in business or public spaces but also in those more enclosed public spaces.

I am not sure that anything I have said has amounted to a question. I would simply ask the witnesses to give me an idea of the usage since the council has opened this up. Is it that kind of inclusive usage or is it just that autistic people are using it? I imagine it is of huge benefit to parents with autistic children in that they will bring their children to the library, but they will also have the opportunity to access the library service themselves because that extra space has been carved out for them. The witnesses might give me a better understanding of how it has changed the usage of the libraries in Limerick. I am assuming it has changed it for the better.