Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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In August 2024, the autism innovation strategy was launched by the Government. Today I ask the Government to action its pledge in the programme for Government to place this strategy on a permanent legislative footing. This must be followed up with the appropriate investment and implementation. The strategy contains over 80 actions that reflect the priorities of autistic people, address the daily challenges they and their families face, and seek to address the gaps in existing services and supports. It is also designed to complement and enhance wider action on disability. It includes a significant number of recommendations of the final report of the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Autism, which was representative of all political groups within this House and engaged with relevant stakeholders. Some of the important actions of the strategy include establishing an autism innovation fund to fund projects to empower the autistic community and increase our understanding of autism; supporting inclusive and accessible learning environments that ensure autistic children and their families are supported in transitioning throughout the educational system; and enabling autistic children and adults to access early intervention assessments and multidisciplinary supports. I acknowledge some of the work completed to date, including one-stop shops, a €65 million investment in this year's summer programme, additional undergraduate places in therapies, and the 400 extra special classes and 300 school places sanctioned for this year.

Let me be clear: the needs and challenges faced by autistic people will not go away or end after 18 months.

Supports need to be put in place for the whole of life. The only way to ensure accountability and delivery of all the actions is to put it on a legislative footing. It is now eight months since the launch. How many of the actions have been commenced or completed? The recent report Same Chance, launched by AsIAm, identifies a regression by comparison with what is in last year's report. Some 86% of respondents say they still do not have the same chance as non-autistic people in Irish society, citing long waiting lists, discrimination, a lack of support and financial pressures as key barriers. Some 70% of respondents also do not believe the educational system is inclusive of autistic people, representing a 14% increase. Some 69% of children represented in the report are not currently receiving supports, while 84% are waiting over one year. This is indicative of circumstances in my county, where there are currently 3.9 vacant posts to be filled in the CDNT and, indeed, a waiting list for places in special schools.

We heard last week stories at first hand from parents of autistic children who are struggling to find suitable school places and relevant therapies. While we talk about numbers, we need to remember that each one is a person – a son, a daughter, a brother, a sister. I would like to put on record the words of young Fiacre Ryan, a young autistic boy from Castlebar who gave evidence to the joint committee:

It only seems appropriate to give the same rights given to those without autism to individuals with it. Needing some type of assistance does not make someone less of a person. ... Try to see past the autism and realise that we are the same inside as others.

I have already started to legislate by having introduced the Autism Action and Oversight Bill in the Seanad in October 2024. I have asked that the Government bring the Bill through the Houses in 2025 and ensure autistic people have the same chance to live, work, grow and participate.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue and acknowledge the huge amount of work he has done in bringing autism to the fore and ensuring it is firmly front and centre on the Government agenda. The programme for Government clearly sets out and clearly prioritises the need to implement an autism innovation strategy and put it on a statutory footing, so that something will always be there and that this will be a strategy that will not just be published once but will be renewed and remain on the agenda.

I compliment the work done by the Deputy, as Chair of the autism committee, not only in bringing together Members of this House but also in engaging with advocacy groups, parents and, in particular, young people to understand what we need to do to support people who are autistic and those who are neurodiverse and make sure this remains firmly on the agenda. The Deputy mentioned the 80 actions in the recommendations and plan. A huge amount of work is already happening. For example, under my remit in the Department of Education, it is essential that every single child, come next September or whenever they are due to go to school, not only has a place in school that they are constitutionally entitled to but also the place that is right for them, with the right supports they need to thrive and fulfil their potential.

In that regard, in the last number of weeks the Minister of State, Deputy Moynihan, and I have been engaging extensively with the National Council for Special Education. To date, of the 400 special education classrooms we have committed to, 390 have been sanctioned. By tomorrow, the remainder will be sanctioned. Those that are not will have section 37A directions issued in respect of them to ensure classrooms are available. Most importantly, we are writing today to the NCSE to ensure every single school that is now being sanctioned proceeds with its enrolment process and that children identified through the NCSE as needing a special place will be prioritised and offered one as quickly as possible.

We are aware that so many young people who need special education classrooms who are in special schools or who need additional resources are children with autism. That is a really important element in making sure the actions, priorities and commitments are acted upon and in terms of the CDNTs and in making sure that not only in our schools but also outside them, within our communities, we support people with autism, including young people with autism. Every effort is being made by the Minister for Health and the Minister of State responsible for disabilities to ensure the CDNTs are filled. In that regard, there is a very clear commitment in the programme for Government to double the number of places within universities and colleges so we have more therapists, including OTs and speech and language therapists, to support our young people and those with autism in their communities, schools, homes and hospital settings.

Micheál Carrigy (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister very much. I welcome the commitment from the Minister on behalf of the Government to legislate for the autism innovation strategy. Key to it is giving every child the same chance in life and the opportunity to be the best they can be.

I welcome the huge amount of work done in the Minister's Department with regard to new school places for September 2025. However, I ask that the work start. It probably should have started a number of years back to ensure we provide places for 2025, 2026, 2027 and 2028. One just needs to look at the census figures of 2022. We have more than 40,000 children with a disability, based on the census results. Some 4% have indicated they have a disability. I ask that the various Departments covering the therapies and education consider these figures, break them down geographically and plan to ensure we have the school places for children not just months in advance but also one, two and three years in advance.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy is right in that we need to be better at forward planning and to do better. That is why, this year, we are about 40% ahead of where we were this time last year. That is why I intend that, by this time next year, we will have identified children and have children who know exactly where they will be going to school. It has to be the case that every single child is treated equally. It has to be the case also that come January a child knows where they are going to school, whether primary or post-primary, and that is every child and not just a child who perhaps does not have an additional need or an additional requirement but a child who is autistic, a child who has ADHD or a child who has additional needs. We need to ensure each child is treated equally and has the same chance in life, and that is why work is already starting in my Department and why the NCSE has been tasked with identifying, even earlier in the year, what children's needs are, where they arise and how we engage with schools and local communities and ensure we are working closely together. It is not just a matter for the Department of Education as it is also a matter for the Department of Health, the Department responsible for disabilities, the Department of children and the Department of Social Protection, ensuring all the information we have is used to support and benefit children. We are all part of this as well such that communities understand neurodiversity and how to play an important part in that regard.

Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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That concludes Other Members’ Questions. Before we move to Questions on Policy or Legislation, I welcome pupils from Tara Hill national school, Gorey, who are here as guests of Deputy Malcolm Byrne, whom they will hear speaking in about ten minutes if they wait.