Ivana Bacik (Dublin Bay South, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Taoiseach for committing to meet Cara Darmody and her family. They will be really appreciative of that. As he said, that meeting will take place in the next few weeks. They have new information. They have been incredibly impactful - I must say that and pay tribute to them - in raising awareness about the lack of services, lack of autism services and services for neurodiverse children. I also thank the Taoiseach for clarifying that the new committee will meet on Monday and for committing to following up with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte, on the issue of the reimbursement of payment for private assessments of need. I am also glad to hear that the Minister of State will soon launch the national autism strategy. It is long overdue. Will the Taoiseach give us a timeline on that? The reality, of which I think we are all aware in this House, is that parents of children with neurodiversity or autism have to fight hard for every service. It is not just about assessments of need, although that is the focus of what we are talking about today. The Taoiseach also referred to issues like in-school therapies, broader services and school places. Many children have to travel far out of their communities to access these services. Even when they have the diagnosis and even when the service is provided, it is not provided anywhere near where they live. It means they cannot have the same quality of life as their siblings. I appeal to the Taoiseach to give us a clear commitment as to what meaningful change the new Cabinet committee will make for those children and their families. I thank him again for agreeing to meet Cara Darmody.

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