Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 8 November 2022

Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism

Autism Policy: Discussion (Resumed)

Mr. Michael Hegarty:

On behalf of St. Joseph's Foundation, I thank the committee for inviting us to meet it here this morning. I am the chief executive officer of the foundation. I have worked for over two decades in the autism spectrum disorder, ASD, and intellectual disability sector, from service provision to HSE management, and I joined the team in St. Joseph's Foundation earlier this year. I am joined by my colleague, Mr. David Doyle, who is our development manager with a special interest in alternative supports. He established St. Joseph's Foundation's very successful Liskennett Farm, which includes residential, respite and an equine therapy centre.

He also has personal life experience of special needs, which I am sure he will share with the committee.

I am also joined by Dr. Barry Coughlan, our principal psychologist. His area of interest is primarily focused on evidence-based practice issues pertaining to the identification, assessment and treatment of mental health issues in persons with intellectual disability and complex needs. Dr. Coughlan is also interested in the ageing experiences of adults with intellectual disability, deinstitutionalisation and community integration.

As a brief and high-level overview, St. Joseph’s Foundation was founded by the late Dr. Martin O’Donnell and several concerned members of the community in Charleville, north Cork, in 1968 as an alternative support service for those who had special needs but were not being supported by the mainstream health services. St. Joseph’s Foundation supports service users and their families throughout the north Cork and south-west Limerick area. While much has changed over the past 50 years, our core mission - to care - remains the bedrock of our foundation. It is because we have remained faithful to this core ethos that the wider community in north Cork and south-west Limerick continues to support our foundation’s work. We at St. Joseph’s Foundation support 1,300 children through our two progressing disability services, PDS, teams, and 500 adults through our residential, day service and interdisciplinary supports. Our service is provided by a loyal workforce of 500 personnel, including healthcare assistants, nurses, ancillary support staff, senior therapists and a dedicated administrative support team.

On behalf of Mr. Doyle, Dr. Coughlan, and those we support as well as our wider team in Cork and Limerick, I thank committee members for this engagement and for listening to what we can offer. I have borne witness - not just as I sit before this committee today, but over many years - to the genuine engagement by parliamentarians who wish to do good by those with special needs within our community and, in this regard, we are glad to share any support or insight we may be able to provide today.