Matt Shanahan (Waterford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am happy to join colleagues in supporting this Bill regarding autism. I know the Minister of State is very proactive in this area. We know that boys are three times more likely to suffer from autism than girls. In Ireland today more than 14,000 students have an autism diagnosis. That is one in 65 nationally, so the condition is quite prevalent. It is also a lifelong condition, as has been highlighted and, without significant support, coping mechanisms and self-education, many sufferers can find that their condition inhabits their career trajectory, their relationships and their general mental and physical well-being. It is at the extreme end a disability, and a number of Deputies have spoken about the difficulty in accessing a diagnosis of autism. This is where the Minister of State is going with her autism innovation strategy. That has to be the first place she goes. There is extreme hardship out there for families who have been in this system for some time. They see their kids regressing.

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Schools and teachers are equally frustrated. They have very little opportunity under the system. They get one or two evaluations a year which is not enough, in particular in primary school.

We need to consider the incredible financial cost families have to bear, as well as the impact on other siblings in families. We must do something to try to accelerate the diagnosis of autism and then determine how we can provide services.

The Minister of State announced disability network teams. This has caused quite a deal of trouble for many families. In Waterford, a service in Johnstown wrote to many families and told them they should start accessing speech and language and occupational health services in Dungarvan, which is almost 30 miles away.

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