Ms Norma Purtill:

On behalf of the County and City Management Association, I thank the committee for the opportunity to meet on the subject of autism policy and local authorities, with specific reference to housing and library supports. I am a senior staff officer in Limerick City and County Council.

Local authorities play an essential leadership role in the democratic, social, economic and cultural development of local areas. City and county councils across Ireland provide amenities, services and infrastructure designed to improve local areas as inclusive places in which to live, work and visit. As well as library supports and initiatives, local authorities are striving to develop supports for people with autism in other areas such as those outlined below.

I refer to staff training and development. In 2021, there were more than 3,500 people with autism in Limerick. A working group from Limerick City and County Council’s community leisure and culture department was established to examine how Limerick could become an autism-friendly location. The overarching recommendation from the working group was for the council to take steps to lead by example in best practice and awareness of the issues. Limerick City and County Council sought and received funding from the disability participation and awareness fund through the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth to undertake a training and awareness programme for staff, councillors, community groups and organisations through a public participation network, PPN. PPNs are valuable in this regard as they empower and assist groups to participate in decision-making by providing a nominating structure for community and voluntary interests and a link for the local authorities to connect, collaborate and consult with community groups. This funding allowed Limerick to assign a grade 5 part-time resource, tasked with driving specific projects supporting autism friendly actions, for example, autism supports in libraries and festivals. This work is ongoing and is an integral step in the council’s commitment to supporting people with autism.

I refer to the local government willing able mentoring, WAM, programme. This programme builds on and complements current work in this area by the sector through local authority involvement in the employability placement programme. As part of efforts to become more inclusive and develop the numbers of people employed in the sector who have a disability or impairment, the local government sector has engaged with the AHEAD WAM work placement programme.

I will turn to developing housing supports for people with autism and social housing. Autism is recognised as a sensory disability in Limerick City and County Council's social housing allocations. Most allocations are made on the basis of family size. However, in the context of autism, consideration is given to additional bedroom space should medical documentation support the case for this facilitation. The number of applicants presenting with autistic needs is increasing and this presents a challenge for local authorities. In 2022, for example, Limerick City and County Council made 16 allocations with autism support requirements.

I will turn to private housing. There is currently no provision for people to apply for grants for extensions of private houses to accommodate autistic needs, for example, as allowed for under housing aid for older people, HOP, housing adaptation grants, HAGs, and mobility aid grants, MAGs. Limerick City and County Council has used the disabled persons grant scheme, DPGS, to provide additional space for autistic needs. However, this would not normally be facilitated due to cost and budget allocation.

On the role of local authorities in placemaking and the public realm, in practical terms, placemaking connects all people and the places they share with the intention of creating prosperity, inclusion and well-being for all. It links the physical, cultural, and social identities that make each community unique, going beyond the physical form and aesthetics to the function of the space. It can be transformative as it recognises the quality of a place and facilitates a people-based approach to the planning, design and management of public spaces, while also creating opportunities for communities to come together. Local authorities are local leaders in the way spaces are designed, managed and promoted. Many local authorities have installed new play spaces that allow for ease of access, as well as sensory equipment. Awareness campaigns have been developed, as well as offering support services and many other initiatives through libraries situated in the heart of communities.