Dominic Hannigan (Labour)

I welcome the Minister of State to the House. As someone who has spent a considerable time in recent years talking to people in the north east, I am very aware of the prevalence and level of autism in society. As many people know, we are in the middle of a baby boom so it is clear the incidence of autism will rise. It is very important therefore that we find ways of putting facilities in place to allow children to be educated.

There are many difficulties to be faced in respect of children with autism. One is getting assessed in the first instance. I spoke this morning to parents in Laytown who told me they had been told in a letter from the Department a few months ago that they must find National Educational Psychological Service people to carry out assessments. There are issues in respect of getting a diagnosis in the first instance.

With a diagnosis in place, it is often very difficult to access the services that are needed. The problem is especially acute in terms of education and applied behavioural analysis schools. ABA has been shown to be the most effective programme for dealing with autism. We are lucky in the north east in that we have a school in Drogheda which caters for children from east Meath, Laytown, south Louth and beyond. I look forward to going to its annual fund-raising ball this Saturday night and speaking to many of the parents involved in the school.

Like other ABA schools, Drogheda has been a victim of its own success. It has a significant waiting list, with more than 60 children waiting to get into the school because it is so renowned and the services it offers are so good. Like other ABA schools in Ireland, the school faces issues in respect of funding and finding permanent sites for the school. Its staff face issues in respect of getting their qualifications recognised. All these problems could be dealt with very quickly by the Minister.

I know the Minister is meeting party colleagues in early March to discuss autism so I ask her to consider seriously the position in respect of ABA schools at that meeting. In respect of the Ó Cuanacháin case, flexibility has been shown in the past in respect of legal costs. Owing to the service the Ó Cuanacháins have performed in raising awareness of autism, the Minister seriously should consider waiving the fees.