John Paul Phelan (Fine Gael)

I propose to share time with Senator Pearse Doherty. I am pleased to participate in this good debate but I regret it cannot be rolled over to next week. We have had roll-overs of other debates on topics which were less deserving than this one.

It is an emotive and politically charged issue but I reject any notion of making a political football of it. Those involved in politics have a right and responsibility to raise issues of national concern. This is an issue of personal concern for many of us. Senator O'Sullivan spoke on the Government side and I too have family interests in this matter, with particular reference to autism, the subject on which I will focus my contribution.

It annoys me greatly that every Government spokesperson I have heard, mostly outside the House, begins by stating that applied behavioural analysis is not a solution for everyone with autism or a one-size-fits-all solution. Nobody in the Opposition has suggested that ABA fits everyone. I ask the Government to address the real issue. ABA is not a uniform approach and contains many different strands. It is adapted to the individual needs of the child who has the learning difficulty. We must get real on this subject.

The cornerstone of the argument with the Government is early intervention, which cannot be stressed often enough. The early years of these children will never be recovered if lost. I get on well with the Minister, Deputy Hanafin, but on this issue her performance has been shockingly bad. She is dragging her feet. I do not know the reason for it but she adopts an approach that she knows best and the rest of us do not. Senator Ormonde referred to this when stating that the debate is being led by people who know less than the Minister. I resent that and believe we are perfectly entitled to raise these views.

Earlier speakers referred to the Education for Persons with Special Educational Needs Act and the fact it will be implemented. I ask the Minister of State, Deputy Haughey, to outline the timeframe. It is estimated that €400 million will be needed to implement the parts of the Act not yet in place.

I referred to the importance of early intervention. Previous speakers have referred to the lack of facilities at second level education for those with autism. This will be a significant problem in the future. The major issue faced by many families, including my brother, his wife and their autistic three year old child, is the sheer lack of psychologists and the waiting times for assessments if they remain within the public system. A private psychologist who carries out the assessment may state that ABA should be followed. However, the Government will not provide enough resources for such places. That is the central problem — providing resources to have these places available so that when the professional psychologist, not the Minister or even the parents, decides that ABA is the right approach, a place will be provided for the child.