Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank most sincerely the Sinn Féin Deputies for bringing this important matter before the House, I acknowledge World Autism Awareness Day, and I welcome each and every person who has come here this evening for this important debate.

The issue of the waiting time for children to be assessed is one of the biggest problems that I find in the county that I am elected to represent. Another is the lack of respite care for families. Funding for home support respite is needed. I see that at the coalface, the same as every other Member and every councillor around the country. Elected representatives are dealing with families who are struggling trying to get access to the vital services they need, whether it is getting the assessment in time or the funding for the supports. That is what we are trying to highlight here this evening. Autism-specific adult services are not available at present.

Extra resource hours are needed for schools. I thank from the bottom of my heart the teachers and SNAs for the work they do throughout the country. They are a valuable treasure, as the Ceann Comhairle will be aware in his own constituency. These people - I am not being patronising in saying this - are saints because of the effort that they put into their role and the work and nurturing that they give, in particular, to young people who are starting out in life and to whom we want to give the very best.

Just because a person might have a diagnosis of autism does not mean to say that his or her life has to stop. It means that we have to give the person with autism the resources that he or she requires to get the most out of himself or herself.

Finally, there is a lack of funding for Autism Assistance Dogs Ireland. I acknowledge how valuable it is when a child receives such a dog because assistance dogs, as the organisation itself states, are changing "the world for children with autism". That means so much because that is exactly what they are doing. They are like a lifeline. It is like giving them a little person to be with and to grow up with and it is so nice to see it when it is working well. I acknowledge that great group. They should get more funding for the great work that they are doing.

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