Michael McCarthy (Cork South West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am not being pedantic, but I counted 16 speakers. I acknowledge the staff of the House, the Ceann Comhairle and his office for allowing me to introduce this momentous legislation. I deeply appreciate the opportunity. Outstanding contributions have been made on all sides of the House since the debate commenced off at 10.30 a.m.

The profession of politics and the body politic comes in for constant scrutiny. Unfortunately, on many occasions much of the comment can be negative and anything but constructive. Sometimes practitioners bring that upon the system. We have had approximately 1,200 Deputies since the foundation of the State - I do not refer to members of local authorities or of Seanad Éireann – and the vast majority of those men and women worked very diligently for the people they represented. We should never lose sight of why we are here – to represent our constituents and our people. Today was a fine example of that.

I acknowledge your role, a Cheann Comhairle in allowing today’s debate to take place. None of us should ever apologise for being a conduit between what is out there and our constituency. That is the genesis of the issue for me. I have met too many parents who have found it extremely frustrating that when their children become adults, they reach a cliff face and there is no continuity of services for their children who have autism. That is why the Bill specifically relates to adults with autism.

I also acknowledge the fact that political reform allows us to be present today by having extra sittings. I also applaud the manner in which we have witnessed collegiality around a significant issue this morning. To paraphrase Deputy Humphreys, the Minister reacted humanely to the issue. He did not get involved in a political sideshow or kicking. He responded to the legislation in a manner that is heartening for me, and especially for the families of people who have children, including adult children, with autism. His endorsement of the legislation is significant and historic. I wish to put on record my personal gratitude to the Minister for taking the Bill himself and for reacting in the manner in which he did based on his personal experience, medical background and political duties. That is hugely heartening for me but more so for the families of children with disabilities.

One of the aspects of legislation to which reference has been made is the interdepartmental nature of the issue. That is critical. We should never view the issue as being solely one for the Minister for Health or the HSE because people with autism are like everyone else in that they will access services such as education, housing or jobs. That is why it is critical that we emphasise the interdepartmental aspect of the legislation. The Department of Health will be the main driver but we must acknowledge the wider aspect of the issue.

Deputy Ó Caoláin made an interesting point when he referred to the case where a mother of a person with autism had to take a case to the Equality Tribunal. The issue of concern is that the local authority had discriminated against the mother and her child. That was the kernel of the story. That is why we are present today requiring the Government to introduce a strategy so that no other family will ever have to have recourse to an organ of the State to fight for what is everybody else’s right. We should never deny such rights to anybody else. By enacting the legislation we will make a clear statement that the situation should never arise again.

I acknowledge the contributions of the spokespersons from the Opposition parties – the Technical Group, Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin. I also acknowledge the poignant and personal contributions made by Members on their personal experience. We come to the House as legislators but we are all human beings. We are all part of families and we live in communities. None of us is unaffected by what goes on around us, despite what some element of the commentariat might like others to believe. By bringing that with us today we have improved the quality of debate.

As I said in my initial contribution, every journey begins with a small step. Every time one sets sail there is always a port and a journey. Today is the first but significant step in that journey. I look forward to the legislative process and to Committee Stage. I also look forward to engagement with others and ultimately to producing robust legislation that vindicates the rights of adults with autism.

Many points have been made and I will not refer to them all, but I wish to share with the House a card I received from a young man who was in the Visitors Gallery, 20 year old Conor Deeney from Donegal. He said in his note: “Thank you for helping all the people with autism. Love from Conor Deeney.” There is a beautiful quote on the front of the card. It is a Chinese saying: “To get through the hardest journey we need to take only one step at a time but we must keep on stepping.” I look forward to the rest of this journey. I acknowledge the commitment and endorsement of the Minister and I thank all sides of the House.

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