Willie O'Dea (Limerick City, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach will be aware of the difficulties families encounter in accessing mental health services, particularly for children and young people. An organisation in Limerick called Dóchas Midwest Autism Support caters for 200 young people and children each week and it has direct access to 300 families. It recently applied for a children's disability services grant and was refused for reasons that were incomprehensible to me. If it had succeeded, it would have doubled its capacity. Services for young people with autism in the mid-west are sparse and would be infinitely worse if this organisation did not exist. Does the Government intend to increase provision for organisations like this because they do invaluable work, as the Taoiseach knows, and deal with families that are often under great stress? Can the Taoiseach confirm whether the grant will be available again in the not-too-distant future?

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