Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister of State for attending the meeting. I am really glad she congratulated the Spiritans on their recent collaboration with the Department of Education. They are really leading the way, and I hope other educational organisations will follow suit. The Minister of State has done a lot of work in this field. I thank her for opening Our Lady of Hope School, in my area, Dublin 12, with the Minister, Deputy Foley, earlier in the year.

As we know, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. One of the big issues that concerns me is the fact that, as the NCSE confirmed last week, early intervention classes cannot be accessed without a confirmed diagnosis of autism. This does not fall within the remit of the Minister of State's Department, but children are not getting diagnosed because of the huge delays in diagnosis. That has a direct impact on children accessing early intervention classes. It leaves us in a space where only the children of the rich can access early intervention classes provided for by the State. That is hugely unfair on children. All children should have equal access to these classes. On top of that, in areas like Dublin 6 and Dublin 6W there are not any early intervention classes. I hope the Minister of State will be able to use the new emergency legislation, namely section 37A of the Education (Provision in Respect of Children with Special Educational Needs) Bill 2022, to ensure that schools open early intervention classes. We all know that early intervention is key, and these classes can make a huge difference to children when it is clear very early on that they have an autism diagnosis.

I am really glad the Minister of State mentioned transition into the workforce and the pilot programmes. That is very much welcome. However, when we open special schools and autism classes around the country, it is really important we have wrap-around services like occupational therapists, OTs, physios and speech and language therapists. That is just not there at the moment. I know the Minister of State is well aware of that, but it is prudent of us as members of the autism committee to call once again for proper services to be attached to these autism classes and special schools around the country because they do not really function without the OT, the speech and language therapist, the physio or the behavioural therapist. It is sort of like an ICU bed. Many of the advocates would describe special education provision as such. You need not just a bed but also all the wrap-around services to provide for children in order that they have the support they need.

I thank the Minister of State. I would appreciate hearing her thoughts on the diagnosis piece when it links in to early intervention in schools.