Chris Andrews (Dublin Bay South, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I also commend my colleague, Deputy Tully, on the work she has done on this particular issue, which is unbelievably important to many families across the country. The fear people feel when they find out their child is neurodiverse is heartbreaking because they know so many people in their situation who have been failed and they know that the same is in store for them. I know the Minister of State gets that but it seems the Government has no handle on how to get services up to an acceptable standard. It knows the questions but it is not delivering the answers that parents of children with disabilities need. When I hear Ministers speak in the Dáil or in the media, if feels like they have no power to change the way that business is done. They sound more like interested commentators than actual Ministers.

The number of autism spectrum disorder, ASD, classes in Dublin 6 is a very significant issue. The process under section 37A of the Education Act 1998 has delivered no extra places. Advocacy groups such as Involve Autism have highlighted the failure of this process in delivering ASD classes in Dublin 6 and Dublin 6W. More than €70,000 is spent every day bussing autistic children out of their communities to go to schools a long distance from their homes. In the morning, one child in a family will turn right while another will get onto a bus and have to leave their home. It is absolutely bonkers. A child in Pearse Street has to get on a bus or in a taxi and travel to Clontarf, on the other side of the city, to get to school. How does that make any sense?

This is ultimately the Minister's responsibility. The Department does not have the information it needs to plan for school places. The process of diagnosis starts with the Minister. The diagnosis of children is very important because, without such a diagnosis, children regress and cannot access the services they need to reach their full potential. If we are going to meet the demand for school places, we need children to be assessed as early as possible. The Minister needs to ensure that the HSE fulfils its obligations under the Disability Act. Families feel abandoned and Government is ultimately responsible.

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