Jimmy Deenihan (Kerry North-West Limerick, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Sheahan for raising this issue today and I compliment him on his presentation and its content. I am pleased to outline the position on the situation on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch.

I am aware that every year, autism organisations around the world celebrate World Autism Awareness Day in early April with unique fundraising and awareness-raising events. This is a very good way of maintaining focus on citizens with autism and their families. However, what has struck the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, again and again, is that the one thing that people with a disability want more than any other, regardless of their condition, is to live as normal a life as possible in the community and to have the same opportunities as all other citizens to participate in their community. Government policy in relation to disability is not condition specific and encompasses all citizens who have a disability. At this stage, the Minister of State does not believe there is a need to introduce a specific national autism awareness week.The Government is already committed, under the national disability strategy, NDS, to ensuring that people with autism are empowered by policy and programmes to participate meaningfully as citizens in society. The NDS is driven by this basic but fundamentally important objective and is the most effective combination of legislation, policies, institutional arrangements and services to support and reinforce equal participation for all people with disabilities.

A comprehensive consultation process is under way with a view to putting in place a new national disability inclusion strategy. This process is being led by my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Aodhán Ó Ríordáin. This will allow interested parties to make recommendations in key areas such as service provision, accommodation, health, employment, and education.

The Cabinet committee on social policy has been examining issues around autism across Departments in association with the National Disability Authority, NDA. This work by the NDA, which has included consultation with families, has been of significant assistance in informing how best to address the needs of people with ASD as part of the national disability strategy, which covers a wide range of policy areas across Departments and agencies, so that we can be sure that they are appropriately reflected and included in policies and actions. The proposed approach was also discussed with the national disability strategy steering group. A programme of specific measures has now been agreed for delivery by the relevant Departments and agencies, including specific actions to be delivered by the NDA.