Rose Conway Walsh (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Very well. I ask the Minister of State to comment It is a little aside from the matter under discussion but it is all related.

I want to concentrate on people with disabilities who reach the age of 18 and find there are not appropriate training spaces for them or the people who provide training do not have the expertise that is needed. I refer in particular to people on the autism spectrum. When young people are put into positions where the required expertise and training is not present, it is a dangerous situation for them and there is also the issue of people not being able to reach fulfil their potential. Resources need to be put in place because individuals and their parents need to know that when the young person reaches the age of 18, he or she will not simply be left to fend for him or herself. Such people deserve a training place and to fulfil their potential as much as anybody else.I strongly feel that our society is missing out greatly on the uniquely positive traits that are rare or non-existent among neurotypical individuals. We have many people with disabilities and many people with autism, Asperger's syndrome, dyspraxia and other conditions, but we do not appear to realise that history is full of people who were on the autism spectrum and did the most brilliant things. Among them were Hans Christian Andersen, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and, of late, Bill Gates and Steve Jobs. These people did magnificent things, and by not providing the right environment, training and employment for people with autism, we are selling society short. One of the traits of people with autism is they rarely lie. Is that not great?