Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Has the Minister of State had an opportunity to visit the Midleton Centre for Autism? I and other colleagues visited it some months ago and saw at first hand the extraordinary work taking place there, bringing together children from the North and South on a collaborative basis to try to deal with many issues attached to autism.

Will the Minister of State accept that there was an implicit agreement on the part of the Northern Ireland Executive and the Government of the Republic to fund the capital programme and outlay attached to this particular centre and that without that funding, which has been paused, the centre will not be able to develop its full potential? Will he provide further information to the House on the nature of the pause in capital funding currently taking place?

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