Eileen Flynn (Independent) | Oireachtas source

Mr. Harris will know that 38% of autistic people still experience discrimination and 61% are on waiting lists for access to services. That 61% really strikes me. It should never be the case that 61% of people are, in my opinion, denied access to mental health services. How is that happening in today's society? I brought up a few times at this committee the likes of Jigsaw not working with children who are autistic. That is blatant discrimination and should not be allowed to happen.

This committee launched a report a few months ago saying that every school in the country should have a summer programme. Some schools did not even do the surveys we sent around, which speaks volumes about our education system in the sense that it is not what you do but the way that you do it. They did not even have the decency to respond. I totally understand, however. I visited St. Catherine's Vocational School in Killybegs yesterday, which has an autism class. The young woman who received an award for all her great work was in the school for six years. That was the first time in my activism and in all the work I have done that I have seen a young woman go on to complete her leaving certificate examinations. It was so welcome. I know it does not apply to all schools but it happens in some schools. Those days where this does not apply should be far behind us. Again, that speaks volumes about our education system when it comes to inclusion of people with autism. That is something we must look at as a committee.

Eight years ago, when I first heard about AsIAm, I was struck by the name of the organisation. This committee accepted me as the person I am. That is absolutely brilliant. I remember having a conversation with my friend Michael O'Flanagan last year in 2022 about trying to get his young brother access into a school that met his needs. Michael really opened up my eyes to the inequalities children with autism face daily, and this committee opened them to those faced by adults. I see adults around me all the time - members of the Traveller community - who have not been diagnosed through the years of segregation, racism and discrimination Travellers have faced, even in the health system. People were put under mothers' care. It would not be seen nowadays. How do we get those people diagnosed and looked after by the State, which has a duty of care? I have loved sitting on this committee. It has absolutely opened my eyes to the advocacy work parent groups do on behalf of children or siblings or whoever it may be. The most important part of this committee for me, however, is hearing the voices of the people who are autistic. That is critical. The recommendations we put forward are only ink unless we try to hold the Government to account and say these are the recommendations. I once had a Minister say to me after the Committee on Key Issues affecting the Traveller Community that they are only recommendations from the committee and to pay them no heed. We did a huge amount of work on that special Traveller committee. We have to look at meaningful implementation that will change people's lives.

We should even look at local authorities when it comes to children. Local authorities give out grants for some parks to have, for instance, a swing for children with disabilities. I know that is very simple but that is something about which I am very passionate. Again, being with friends of mine, Michael and his brother who is autistic, I saw how important that swing is for a child. That strikes me even from a local authority point of view that something cannot be put in that will meet the needs of an autistic child in a play area. The recommendations will be very important.

I also support what Mr. Harris said about the 2016 Act in Malta and how we should look at that. If something works, we can do it. It is not about recreating the wheel. We have people like Mr. Harris and other advocates for people who are autistic and the people themselves who want change. We have to hold this committee and the Government to account around implementation, however. That is critical. While this committee has been brilliant, it will have been an absolute waste of time if we do not have implementation. Those are just some comments about the frustration around local authorities when it comes to this. I know it is so simple but that is something I would love to see rolled out in every park in the country.