Dáil debates

Friday, 8 March 2013

Autism Bill 2012: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

12:10 pm

Photo of Kevin HumphreysKevin Humphreys (Dublin South East, Labour) | Oireachtas source

While I had planned a contribution, I will not repeat points mentioned previously. First, I compliment Deputy McCarthy on introducing this timely and worthy Bill and I will concentrate on just one or two elements. Deputy McCarthy mentioned the postcode lottery and people sometimes think this is about the difference between Dublin and Cork or between Donegal and Limerick. However, as far as provision of services in Dublin is concerned, the post code lottery is about the width of the canal. Rather than waiting for the strategy or for this Bill to pass, this is an issue on which Members can start to work now. I certainly encountered one family that lived in the inner city but which was unable to move across the canal because they would have lost the services to their autistic son. Although they had a good support service, they could not take a home that was suitable for their needs because were they to move across the canal, the service would change and they simply could not do that. This issue must be dealt with now.

The OECD has highlighted the importance of data collection as far as the provision of health services is concerned. Moreover, data collection does not simply refer to the census figures as if one drills down, every general practitioner has an enormous amount of data available. The data protection measures must be negotiated in order to use those data to plan proper services both for people with autism and for other health needs and services and Members must move on this issue quickly. Earlier, the current economic position was mentioned but the importance of this Bill is that Members will start to plan for the future and for the society they wish to see when the nation emerges from this recession. Over the summer, I read the biography of Herbert Morrison, who was a member of the British war Cabinet during the Second World War. During the very darkest days of the battle for Britain, as the bombs were raining down, Morrison set up a committee drawn from members of the Labour Party to plan for the society they wished to see after the war was over. It was a very brave decision at the time because it was not quite clear whether England would come through the war victorious, as this was before the Americans entered the conflict. This society is going through something similar at present. It is going through what probably is the biggest recession it has ever seen and the lack of finances and difficulties in supporting the services currently available are evident. However, the change will happen and the turn will come. This is the reason I consider this Bill to be so important and this is the reason it has been brought forward now. This is the very time when Members should plan for recovery. The purpose of Deputy McCarthy's Bill is to plan for the services and the society Members wish to see. It does not advocate throwing money at the problem but concerns planning, support and services because every parent one meets who has a child with a disability or with autism worries about the time when he or she no longer will be around. Such parents worry about strategy and supports and how their children will continue to function after they have passed away. This is the reason the long-term thought and consideration Deputy McCarthy has put into this Bill has been so important.

I also thank the Minister for his contribution. While he indicated there may be difficulties in legislation and in discussions with the Attorney General, I certainly believe the Minister is highly supportive of the Bill. When this Act is passed, it will be necessary to work to keep to the two-year timeline of bringing forward that strategy. In many ways, the small signs of growth and change in the economy will be timely, in that it may be possible to implement this Act as recovery returns to Ireland and that Members can plan the services for those who definitely need them. I will conclude by complimenting Deputy McCarthy again on his work and on the form of the debate that has taken place. Too often, one finds that Fianna Fáil wants to kick the Government, Sinn Féin wants to kick Fianna Fáil and the Government and the Government wants to kick both of them.

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