David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 190: To ask the Minister for Health and Children when the national review of autism services will be completed; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43461/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health and Children is not carrying out a national review of autism services. However, I understand that the HSE is currently reviewing autism services. Therefore as the Deputy's question relates to the management and delivery of health and personal services, which are the responsibility of the Health Service Executive under the Health Act 2004, my Department has requested the Parliamentary Affairs Division of the Executive to arrange to have this matter investigated and to have a reply issued directly to the Deputy.

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 191: To ask the Minister for Health and Children if her Department or the Health Service Executive conducted research into the national prevalence of autism and Asperger's syndrome; if not, if they have plans to do so; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43462/08]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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The Department of Health and Children does not collect information on children identified with Autism and Asperger's on a national or international basis. Information pertaining to diagnosis is specifically excluded from the National Intellectual Disability Database as the database is not designed as a medical epidemiological tool. Accordingly the database does not record the incidence of Autism or any other disability. In 2004, the Department of Health and Children, through the Health Research Board, approved expenditure of €5 million on autism research to help improve international understanding of the genetic causes of autism. This €5 million is the Irish contribution to a new major international research initiative called the Autism Genome Project which will receive a total investment of €12 million from a variety of international organisations over the next three years. The other co-funders in the international consortium include Autism Speaks (US), the British Medical Research Council (CIHR), Southwest Autism Research and Resource Centre (SARRC), and the Hilibrand Foundation. This unique combination of international, public and private partners funding a consortium of clinicians and scientists is a new and welcome departure in the field of autism research. The Health Research Board has informed my Department that this funding was awarded as follows:

€2.8 million: Professor Michael Gill, Department of Psychiatry, Trinity College, Dublin

€2.2 million: Professor Andrew Green, Director National Centre for Medical Genetics, Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin (affiliated to UCD).

This figure represents the largest tranche of funding to be awarded by any of the four funders within the international consortium. The Irish researchers are at the forefront in unravelling the genetic determinants of autism and related disorders. They are using novel state of the art genetic sequencing technology to analyse DNA samples taken from autistic patients to identify candidate genetic markers for autism. They will collaborate with their international colleagues to then link these genetic markers with clinical outcomes. This unique international research effort will greatly improve not only our understanding of the causes of autism, but its diagnosis and treatment.