Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I move: "That the Bill be now read a Second Time."

I am honoured to move the motion and, with my colleagues from the Regional Group of Independent Deputies, to speak on the matter here today.

The State has failed to put a strategy in place since the European Commission approved the charter of rights for persons with autism in 1996. The charter states that people with autism should share the same rights as enjoyed by all EU citizens and that these rights should be enforced by legislation. This has not yet happened in Ireland.

This Bill seeks to provide for the development and implementation of a cross-Department and multi-agency strategy to provide and implement services for autistic people. Understanding the autism spectrum is crucial to the success of this Bill and any strategy that follows. Service provision for people with autism should not be discretionary; it should be a right that is protected in legislation.

For the State to do nothing would cost more in the long run. For example, inaccessibility to regular supports has contributed to the occurrence of regression of autistic children's interpersonal and educational skills during the pandemic. Financial pressure is acutely felt by families who have assumed full-time caring roles for their autistic children. They report that existing social welfare payments are insufficient to cover the costs of therapy and additional support. A recent study by the National University of Ireland Galway, NUIG, found that the average annual cost per child amounted to more than €28,000, and related to private services, lost income, and informal care.

Along with my Regional Group I look forward to working with all Oireachtas parties and stakeholders to ensure that this legislation is fit for purpose and is successful. It will be a game changer for people with autism and it will enshrine their rights in law.

I am aware that the Government has tabled an amendment, which we have carefully considered. We do not want to kick this Bill down the road for 12 months for the sake of doing that. I understand that the Minister is setting up an Oireachtas committee. I want a commitment that this will happen sooner rather than later and that the life of the committee will be fairly short and we get on with the work that needs to be done. We are also looking for a commitment that the autism strategy, which is being developed, will be enshrined in legislation and incorporated into the legislation in order that it has the backing of the State from a legislative point of view. If we do not do this, and if we just create a strategy, we will find that the strategies are what they are, which is sheets of paper without actually having the effectiveness to run it through for improvements for families, and for children and adults with autism. We need to understand the complexities of autism and why the legislation is required. Since 1996 the State has failed to introduce the legislation. This is a damning indictment on the political body that we are. It is time we changed that.

My motivation, and the motivation of the Regional Group, is to get the legislation put in place with the co-operation and consensus of all parties within the House. This is not a political issue. This is a human rights issue. It is important that we understand it as a human right. I acknowledge that some work has been done and that there are commitments within the programme for Government.

I thank the Minister, Deputy O'Gorman and the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, for being here this morning. The importance of this legislation and what it will do for people with autism, will be transformative. For us as legislators it will mean that we have done some service for them. I also acknowledge the work of former Senator and former Minister for Health, Dr. James Reilly, who first introduced this Bill in 2017. I remind Members that this Bill passed all stages in the Seanad. The only reason it did not come into the Dáil at the time was because the Dáil fell and so the Bill also fell as it was set aside. It is important that we take it back on.

Finally, I put it to the Minister and the Minister of State that autism is not a health issue. Autism is a human rights issue.

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