Hildegarde Naughton (Galway West, Fine Gael)

Another real good example is that I was in Cork where I visited Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland and My Canine Companion. I will give a really good example. A principal in a school said to me that the school has one of these dogs that is specially trained to work with children with autism or disabilities. She said she used to have to coax the child into school in the morning. The dog in the yard is a magical creature that has such a positive impact, not only on the person with the disability but on the whole school community. For a child who might need to be regulated, the dog knows to sit on that child when he or she is reading a book to give him or her the comfort and regulation that he or she needs. They are really powerful examples of how we can help people with disabilities.