Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

Every Deputy in this House has an interest in this subject and every party has a commitment to do what it can for young people with autism or on the spectrum. As recently as Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, the Minister for Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Simon Harris, introduced significant new legislative measures regarding autistic people in universities. I have to be careful because I have a special interest. I had a son in a special educational needs centre school. It was brilliant. Some people probably need that sort of special education. We cannot mainstream everyone. There will be occasions when we will need special schools for those with autism. I know these schools. They are doing an incredible job; that is my personal experience. However, we also need mainstream schools. The Deputy and I know this from our constituency more than any others. The problem is worse in Dublin 2, 4 and 6, and perhaps Dublin 15, than elsewhere but it does not belong to any one party or group. There has been a massive increase in expenditure.

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