Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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295. To ask the Minister for Health the number of persons over the age of 18 years with autism that are in need of support services; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31971/14]

Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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296. To ask the Minister for Health if supports are available for those aged 18 years with autism (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31972/14]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 295 and 296 together.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is a complex neurodevelopmental condition that not only affects approximately 1 in every 100 citizens in Europe, but also impacts on their families and society at large. This Government is committed to providing specialist disability supports to enable each individual with a disability including those with ASD, to achieve his or her full potential and maximise independence, including living as independently as possible. Services are provided in a variety of community and residential settings in partnership with service users, their families and carers and a range of statutory, non-statutory, voluntary and community groups.

Services provided by ASD ‘Service Providers’ include assessment, diagnosis and ongoing treatment and intervention supports. Ongoing interventions and supports may include home support services, respite services and multi-disciplinary team supports to assess the individual needs of each person with ASD and provide for the appropriate interventions.

The Cabinet Committee on Social Policy has been examining issues around autism across Government Departments in association with the National Disability Authority (NDA). This work by the NDA, which has included consultation with families, will be of significant assistance in informing how best to address the needs of people with ASD.

The HSE, through its Occupational Guidance Service, is working with schools, service providers, young people and their families to identify training needs and explore suitable options for school-leavers graduating in 2014. Many young people with disabilities will progress to further education or vocational training funded by the Department of Education and Skills. For those young people who will require ongoing HSE-funded supports, the HSE has established a National Oversight Group to coordinate a timely response to processing applications for day services and rehabilitative training (RT) places.

The provision of a timely response to the requirement for training places and day services to young people with disabilities has proved challenging in recent years. This year, to meet the challenge, the HSE put in place a revised process to ensure a more streamlined approach to the assignment of places to around 1,400 school-leavers and RT graduates. The HSE has confirmed that young people and their families were notified by the end of June of the placements that will be available to them from September. The HSE has allocated funding in excess of the €7 million additional allocation provided in the HSE Social Care Operational Plan 2014 in order to achieve this. As the Deputy's questions relate to service matters, I have arranged for the questions to be referred to the Health Service Executive for direct reply to the Deputy.