Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I wish I had a train to Tuam. I have to drive. Deputy Lowry was to be here but, unfortunately, he had to go home for a funeral. I wish to record that first.

I thank the Joint Committee on Autism for bringing forward this motion. I thank Deputy Buckley for sponsoring it and Senator Carrigy for his introduction. Members of the committee have seen this first hand. I note some of them are here, including the Chair, Deputy Michael Moynihan, to discuss this very important issue. A parent of a child told me not too long ago, when I was talking to her about the child, that autism is not a disability, but a different ability. We have to educate ourselves on that. It is a different ability.

I welcome the report from the committee. It might set a precedent in that it has come earlier than expected. That is important because, as Senator Carrigy noted, the plan for the summer must be put in place early in order that we can ensure the children who need the summer programme get every opportunity to participate in it. The idea of combining resources from schools to have at least one summer programme in each town or locality is a common sense. We need to pool resources and make sure all the services are in place. Planning for that should begin now.

The Minister of State mentioned there has been an increase in the number of services. That is to be commended and welcomed, but we still have people who fall between the cracks during the summer. We heard at first hand from witnesses at the Joint Committee on Disability Matters that families suffered badly during Covid and all that went with it. They have been in a very stressful situation for a long time. We owe it to all families who wish to avail of the summer programme to have a facility available to them. We need to make sure families have certainty about what will happen in good time in order that they can plan their summer and family outings.

I have taken autism on board because I have some relations who have children with autism. I find it great fun talking to them but we should also be doing significant work for children with autism. That motivated me to reintroduce a Bill that the former Minister, Dr. James Reilly, had passed in the Seanad. When I introduced it in the Dáil in October 2021 the Government did not oppose it but asked us to put a stay on it for one year. In October 2022, the Bill passed Second Stage. It is now with the Committee on Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth, which is chaired by Deputy Funchion. Some members of the committee are examining whether they need to do scrutiny on the Bill. I have reached out to the committee for a meeting. In that regard, I commend Deputy Funchion. We will have a meeting to discuss how we can progress that Bill as soon as possible, for the simple reason it has been passed in the Seanad and has completed Second Stage in the Dáil. Amendments are obviously required, and we have amendments prepared, but it is important that we enact this legislation which will give power to people and children with autism and have a right enshrined in law. That is important.

The Joint Committee on Autism has done considerable work and rightly so. It will continue to do that work for some months. Without tangible results, that work will be a futile exercise, no more than our own work on the Joint Committee on Disability Matters will be. It is vital we have the discussion on summer provision now, in February, rather than having it in May or June in order that families get certainty.

Deputy Moynihan chaired the meeting of the Joint Committee on Disability Matters this morning. One gets so much information from people, but families have to come out in public and more or less tell us all of their private experiences. It is a bit demoralising that they have to do so. Some of them do it with great courage and conviction, but we are at a stage in society where we should not have to put people through that.

We should have a better understanding ourselves, as elected public representatives, of what is going on.

A mother said to me that this is not a disability but a different ability and that got me thinking in different way about autism, about how we should embrace it and embrace the people who have it. They are precious but they are also very much part of our society and we need to make them equal. The summer provision is a little part of the overall number of cogs that we have to make sure they have a life of fulfilment and engagement and can contribute to society. The families who have appeared before our committee and the autism committee are contributing to society. They are contributing to the future of society for the betterment of everyone by being courageous enough to come in and speak to us. We owe it to them to make sure that we have a good summer offering for them. I have no doubt that will happen but it is important that we start the work now. We must do the necessary preplanning and make sure that any glitches or hitches are sorted out in time so that families can look forward to the summer with enthusiasm and peace of mind and young people can enjoy the summer, because that is what it is all about.

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