David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)

Will the Minister of State agree that this is an ideal time to collect proper statistics on disability? Will he agree there is no data on people with autism or ASD? Has the Government received the recommendation from the National Disability Authority or the Health Research Board, on the matter of collecting information on disability and specifically on autism? As there is no such data in existence, how can we plan for services for people with disabilities if we do not have the complete picture? Is the census not a golden opportunity by which to collect this information?

How does Ireland compare with other countries in this regard? Do other European states collect information on specific disabilities? How can we facilitate a comparison of data from other states as I believe we agreed in Washington a number of years ago?

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