Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the witnesses. I could have listened to the conversation all day. It was enlightening and fantastic to hear. I thank the witnesses for the work they do in the area of ADHD. I refer in particular to the low level of awareness. Things have moved on since the 1980s. I was a child who went through some services. I spoke to my mother recently and asked why I could not sit still and was always in trouble. I am still always in trouble, but I could not still. I was told I was the bold child in the class. I was not the only one in the class, but I was one of the bold children in the class. We were brought into different services for help. I was not bold at all; there was other stuff going on. Awareness has improved since the 1980s – I am showing my age. Deputy Hourigan touched on what we can do to increase awareness. The witnesses mentioned parents and teachers as being the two critical cohorts in terms of raising awareness. Can any more work be done on that?