Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 25 October 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism

Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed)

Photo of Pat BuckleyPat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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I will be very brief because the representatives sound like they are on trial over on the other side there. I am delighted that all of the witnesses' statements are now up online. The stories have been absolutely powerful. We can hear the witnesses' emotion, their anger and the resentment. They are all there. I thank all of the representatives for their total honesty on it. The frustration is absolutely unbelievable, but the thing about this committee is that it is a joint committee and politics are left outside the door very fast. We are all passionate about what we do in here. I have only one question. Is there a golden egg or just one legislative change that we could force, even as a joint committee here today, that would improve the services or put on a statutory basis that what representatives are saying and recommending? They are the experts and are the ones who are living all of this life. It does not matter how many college degrees a person has, the representatives here have the experience day to day. What would that be, if they could tell me?