Mr. Adam Harris:

I thank the Chair. I will start with the HSE review he alluded to. That review made a number of recommendations. To summarise them broadly, it refers to the need for increased awareness, particularly within the healthcare sector, training, better awareness of the services, and information around autism. It also talks about the need to look at how autism assessments are working and particularly in that vein to look at how there can be less incoherence between mental heath, disability and primary care. In theory, a person should be able to access an assessment no matter what door they go through and there could be a tiered approach to that assessment depending on the person's presentation and needs. That is being piloted, I think, in three community healthcare organisations, CHOs, at the moment across the country. We will have to wait and see what the outcome of that review or pilot is. The awareness campaign will happen in the next 12 months or so. Covid-19 has naturally delayed some of that. It is really important that the recommendations of this committee are informed by and aligned with that work so we can make sure to have a joined-up approach and that we do not have conflicting recommendations at the end of the process.

In terms of the comment about community groups, that is so important because we see groups that do amazing work with very little. We have never seen more need. During the course of the Covid-19 pandemic, queries to AsIAm went up 300%. As a result of the time where it was next to impossible to fundraise we went out, did urgent appeals, and nearly doubled the size of our team. We felt we had an obligation and that if we did not do what was needed there and then that, simply, no one would do it. It is really incumbent on everyone in terms of the State and other organisations where there are resources to get those out into the field as quickly as possible. We are increasing the funding we raise and we increase the expenditure we have in the field year-on-year because there is such an urgent need and I really think that has to happen. The reality is there are plenty of organisations within the field who want to do that sort of work and who need that sort of funding so it is vital we all play our part as a result of that.

I commend the committee's work around the summer programme because it has put an important focus on things. The Chair is right that it is important we ultimately look at some sort of co-ordinating function. We have seen how the Department now has the power to compel schools to open an autism class. When we see a situation where schools perhaps are not participating in the summer programme but are leasing out their school for a summer camp I do not think that should be allowed to happen. Whether it is special educational needs organisers, SENOs, or some other entity there should be an ability to get buildings to put in place staff if schools will not do that themselves. We need to look at giving an agency the power to co-ordinate the summer programme in that manner. What is clear from this year is that the voluntary approach is not working and a much more robust system is needed to ensure participation and that families have the level of service they need.

I thank the Chair and all the committee members for all of the work. I remember back in 2020 at the height of lockdown talking to them on the phone about the Maltese Act. It is great to see us get to this point and will be really exciting to see how the report of this committee will hopefully drive change and bring about a situation where barriers are removed for autistic people and people have the same chance in society, no more and no less. I thank the Chair.