Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

I welcome the witnesses. Before I start, I am a parent of a young autistic boy. I have the knowledge as a parent and a politician in meeting families on a regular basis. I chaired the Joint Committee on Autism. I currently chair the all-party committee. We have a parliamentary group with over 40 members who continue to meet monthly to advocate and push to make sure we continue to work with organisations. We have met Ms McDonagh on numerous occasions. We want to continue to advocate and support. There is a strong support group here with all the members on this committee. However, we have a long way to go.

We published an autism innovation strategy in August 2024 on the back of the joint committee report. We put a commitment in the programme for Government to legislate for it. I spent two years drafting legislation. We brought it into the Seanad. We put it in the programme for Government and it is not on the legislative programme that was issued last week. To say I am disappointed is an understatement, but that needs to change if we want to show people that we are serious about making changes. That is what needs to happen.

Deputy Keogh mentioned the sensory supports. I am a firm believer in them. I mentioned it to the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan. I worked with speech and language therapists from County Galway, and one based in London with the NHS. We did a trial project of sensory supports and a support app for teachers, SNAs and things they can do in the classroom with a number of national schools. I have seen the benefits of music therapy for my young lad. He went from a young lad we could not comprehend and understand, but three months later he was able to speak.

The meltdowns stopped and he was able to start in mainstream. He is currently in a special class. It is a class and not a unit, as was said, in our local national school. He is thriving. He will be the best that he can be and it is my job to make sure I continue to work towards that.

An SNA review was published in the past number of days. I am sure it has probably been brought up already; my apologies, I just missed out a bit. Significant concerns have been expressed to me in relation to that. This may be a good opportunity for the witnesses, as they have gone through it, to maybe put on the record what their concerns are.

Inclusion Ireland fed into and did a massive amount of work on the Grace report. The Minister, Deputy McEntee, announced a new commission, which is due to begin in early 2026. What are the witnesses' comments on that? How would they like to see that commission work? What are their views on how that commission should be shaped to get the answers we need?