Dr. Rosaleen McDonagh:

I, too, want to give the final word to the chief commissioner. Concerning autism, for the past 40 years disability legislation, disability NGOs and DPOs have been unable to move forward because we have been so busy fighting among ourselves and building a hierarchy. I echo what was said by Dr. Muldoon when he said we need to filter our queries through one office. We have learned from other areas that there is a limited amount an Ombudsman can do in terms of progressing the list, and the queues will not move any faster. He or she - preferably a she - will never be able to make much of a difference to services. On the ground in our everyday lives, we work in solidarity, love and hope with each other. I have autistic members in my family and we do not go around saying, "I am more disabled than you and I need more things." It sets the wrong tone in progressing the rights of people with autism and the rights of all Irish disabled people.