Dr. Pat Matthews:

That is what I am hoping will come out from this committee – the cementing of all of the expertise that we have. There is a lot of expertise out there; let us use it together. Let us stop having gaps and build the bridges. There is sufficient expertise on autism in Ireland. We do not have sufficient operatives. We have too few teachers with specialisation. Education and training are not expensive if they are done right. We can upskill people quickly. That begins to fill in some of the gaps. There is not this excuse of a parent trying to enrol a child in a school and the school turns them down on the basis that they do not have resources. What happens to the child? The child should be the central focus of this for the schools and for everyone. You do not say that we have no resources or resources or scarce so take your child home. That is not the way forward in a Christian country where we have dignity and respect.

Resources should be given to everyone.