Dáil debates

Wednesday, 29 June 2022

Autism Bill 2022: Second Stage [Private Members]

 

10:32 am

Photo of Gerald NashGerald Nash (Louth, Labour) | Oireachtas source

For the benefit of those watching, the Government is not supporting the legislation. It is merely not opposing it and has provided its own critique. We do not want to be here legislating for basic public services that should be provided as of right to persons with autism. Deputies Ó Ríordáin and Bacik said that we were here in April 2021 calling on this Oireachtas and the Government to adopt our motion, which was constructively debated and forwarded by the Labour Party, to introduce a national autism empowerment strategy. This strategy drew very heavily on the experience in Malta and other EU states - modern, progressive and liberal democracies. We also know that there is an autism Act in the UK that provides for basic legal rights and access to basic universal public services to all citizens. We had hoped that we would see progress since the Government decided not to oppose our autism empowerment strategy but here we are again. That motion was not opposed so we assumed in good faith that progress would be made but it was not made. This is why we are presenting a Bill here today to provide for a legal framework underpinned by primary law within which the health, educational and employment rights and services needed by persons with autism can be delivered.

I understand that the Minister believes that this is an inflexible approach. We have no problem with being inflexible when it comes to the rights of people with autism. We demand that their rights be delivered and heard. Persons with autism demand that their rights be heard and demand the basic services we should expect to see delivered as of right in a republic. In a republic, we should not have to legislate for these rights. These rights and services should be provided as of right - plain and simple. Deputy Ó Ríordáin spoke very eloquently about the idea of a republic. In this country, we spend far too much time talking about a version of republicanism Irish-style that is focused on the political unification of this land mass on which we happen to live. Labour's vision of a republic is not about the fabled four green fields. It is about liberty, freedom, equality and universality. There is no equality when young people with autism and their families have to knock down doors, push down barriers and become semi-professional advocates and campaigners to obtain rights that should be theirs as of right. There is no freedom and no community when the State cannot accommodate a child with a school place in their own home place. I know only too well that there are children from Donaghmede in Deputy Ó Ríordáin's constituency are being ferried to my home town of Drogheda every day to access appropriate school places. That is not right and that is not sustainable. Nobody can stand over that.

I was really struck by one remark I heard made earlier that will stay with me - "her family feels that they are being punished because there is a child in the family with autism." Let us think about that for a minute. In a republic and one of the wealthiest states in the developed world, why are parents providing us with evidence that services work in objectively less well-off countries such as Spain and Portugal? What is wrong here? On a very basic level, there is a failure of accountability and a failure to resource, plan and manage services properly in a co-ordinated way. This should not be beyond Ministers working together. It should not be beyond senior public service and Civil Service managers.

The under-representation of people with additional needs in our workforce is frankly disgraceful. The Labour Party was founded on the principle of work, equal access, the right to work and a fair day's pay for a fair day's work. We exclude far too many people with additional needs from becoming full and active members of our workforce, economy and society. Let us start with the public service. We were told earlier that 85% of people on the ASD spectrum do not have a job. What kind of a republic is that?

The number of people with additional needs employed in the public service is disgracefully low. We cannot tell the private sector that we want it to do certain things if the public sector will not do the same. I call on Ministers to review that strategy and to ensure everybody in this society, including those of varying ability and those with additional needs, is enabled to become an active through full membership in the workplace and to have the dignity of work.

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.