Kathleen Funchion (Carlow-Kilkenny, Sinn Fein)
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39. To ask the Minister for Health when the autism committee will be established (details supplied). [22337/20]

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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When will the autism committee be established as per the commitment given in the last term of the previous Dáil?

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Deputy for raising the question. As outlined in the recently published programme for Government, the Government is committed to improving services and supports for people with disabilities, including those with autism.  

The HSE has established a national autism spectrum disorder programme board with the key responsibility of leading the implementation of the recommendations of the 2018 review of the Irish health services for individuals with autism spectrum disorder. The board has been tasked with leading out on an agreed set of priorities which will have the greatest impact in terms of improving how services can be delivered to people with autism spectrum disorder. I wish to advise the Deputy that while the work of the board was partly paused in March of this year, it will recommence at the end of this month. My ministerial colleague, Deputy O'Gorman and I, have also written to the Ceann Comhairle's office asking that priority be given to the establishment of an Oireachtas joint committee on disability matters. This committee would be an important interface between the various stakeholders, the HSE and public representatives and could provide an open forum for all those concerned, including people with autism spectrum disorder, their families and other interested stakeholders to address issues relevant to them and voice their concerns.   

In light of the comprehensive actions I have outlined here, the establishment of an Oireachtas committee on autism is not being considered at this time.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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In April 2019, Deputy Funchion moved a motion in this House calling for an autism empowerment strategy and the establishment of an autism committee. The motion received widespread party support at that time. A commitment was given to deliver an autism empowerment strategy for Ireland. The issues affecting autistic children and adults are long-standing and families, children and adults have been battling for years for their basic rights and entitlements. Children face lengthy waiting times for assessments, they struggle to locate appropriate school places and autistic adults face huge gaps in the provision of crucial services, particularly in regard to finding work, securing social welfare or living independently. This is totally unacceptable and it needs to change. A stand-alone autism committee would bring that change.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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We did incredibly well to ensure we had a full-time committee on disabilities established and I ask the Deputy to write to its proposed new Chairman to outline her requests and see if they can form part of the work programme and the committee's planned schedule.

In order to lead implementation, the HSE set up the national autism spectrum disorder programme, consisting of senior operational and clinical decision makers, as well as independent professional academic support and two individuals with lived experience of autism. The €2 million was secured in budget 2020 for the autism plan and the board was to establish two working groups, one dealing with assessment and pathways and the other to deal with the awareness stream. The pathways group was to help identify a standardised assessment approach for using all autism services and ensure every assessment is accessible and to an agreed standard, regardless of which service is being accessed.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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While I welcome a stand-alone committee dealing with disabilities, I do not see autism as a disability; I see it as a different ability, I suppose. There was agreement that the State was failing children with autism and their families and we saw many cases where children's hours were being cut at school because they did not have the proper services or resources available. In many cases children did not attend school at all as a result. We all agreed that was a national scandal at the time.

The failure to make a diagnosis in adequate time for school applications and the lack of places available for autistic children in autism spectrum disorder classes amounts to a denial of a child's right to education. These factors have created a two-tier system in our education sector. It is important that we consider this matter. I take the point about writing to the new committee Chairman detailing my points. I thank the Minister of State for her answer.

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that last week, we announced €7.8 million for assessment of needs. As Minister of State with responsibility for disability, I note autism plays a major role within that responsibility and will be one of the key drivers in my work on the programme for Government. To all those who may be listening to proceedings this evening, the Deputy is correct; there was and is a national scandal involving children being sent home from school and not accessing full hours. I agree completely with the Deputy on that. We must review the standard operating procedures for the assessment of needs to ensure it amounts to more than just assessment and there is intervention at the other end.