Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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484. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth for an update on the Autism Innovation Strategy; the timeframe for the publication of the Autism Innovation Strategy; and if he has plans to establish a committee or monitoring group featuring autistic people to participate in monitoring the Autism Innovation Strategy. [51937/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to action on autism. The development of a new national autism strategy, the Autism Innovation Strategy, is currently underway and I expect to be in a position to publish a draft strategy text early next year. This is an important priority for me as Minister of State.

The Autism Innovation Strategy will identify ways to address the bespoke challenges and barriers faced by autistic people and provide the building blocks for a more autism-inclusive society. It will seek to provide for better mainstream understanding and accommodation of the needs of autistic people. The strategy will be cross-Government in nature and will take a holistic approach towards addressing these challenges in a way that complements and aligns with wider action on disability.

Development of the strategy is currently at an advanced stage with drafting of the strategy being finalised at present. This follows several months of engagements right across Government to agree a suite of clear, simple actions that can address gaps in existing supports and services for autistic people within an 18 month timeframe. This process has included careful consideration of the recommendations contained in the final report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism and the findings of a public consultation held in 2022.

I have been very clear that I want the autistic community to be at the centre of the development process of the Strategy. This has included the appointment of the Autism Innovation Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group, following an open application process.

This group, which is majority neurodivergent, will play a key role in monitoring implementation of the strategy, and in providing constructive advice based on the lived experience and expertise of group members.

The group was formally appointed and met for the first time in December 2022 and subsequently in April 2023. I was delighted to chair these meetings. Further meetings will be arranged in the near future.

Once drafting of the strategy is complete, there will be a further public consultation prior to the formal adoption of the Autism Innovation Strategy. It intended that implementation of the strategy will begin in early 2024 and that is the clear focus of work at present.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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485. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth the estimated final cost of publishing the Autism Innovation Strategy. [51938/23]

Roderic O'Gorman (Dublin West, Green Party)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to action on autism. The development of a new national strategy, the Autism Innovation Strategy, is currently underway. This is an important priority for me as Minister of State.

Costs related to the Strategy have to date been modest and have largely fallen within the realm of consultation and engagement costs and costs related to sourcing the expertise necessary to develop the Strategy. Publication costs will be addressed as the Strategy takes final shape, following a final round of consultation on a draft text. For reasons of commercial sensitivity I do not propose to outline detailed budgets here, however I can assure the Deputy that I have successfully secured the necessary funding to launch and commence delivery of the strategy under Budget 2024.

The Autism Innovation Strategy will identify ways to address the bespoke challenges and barriers faced by autistic people and provide the building blocks for a more autism-inclusive society. It will seek to provide for better mainstream understanding and accommodation of the needs of autistic people. The strategy will be cross-Government in nature and will take a holistic approach towards addressing these challenges in a way that complements and aligns with wider action on disability.

Development of the strategy is currently at an advanced stage. This follows several months of engagements right across Government to agree a suite of clear, simple actions that can address gaps in existing supports and services for autistic people within an 18 month timeframe.

Once drafting of the strategy is complete, there will be a further public consultation prior to the formal adoption of the Autism Innovation Strategy. It is my intention that implementation of the strategy will begin in early 2024 and that is the clear focus of work for my officials at present.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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486. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth if he has plans to initiate a national autism acceptance campaign to promote the participation of autistic people in all areas of social and cultural life; and the estimated cost of initiating a national autism acceptance campaign. [51939/23]

Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to action on autism. The development of a new national strategy, the Autism Innovation Strategy, is currently underway. This is an important priority for me as Minister of St

While actions in the strategy, and the costs of delivering such actions, are still being finalised at present, it is anticipated that efforts under the strategy will seek to improve public awareness, understanding, and acceptance of autism.

The Autism Innovation Strategy will identify ways to address the bespoke challenges and barriers faced by autistic people and provide the building blocks for a more autism-inclusive society. It will seek to provide for better mainstream understanding and accommodation of the needs of autistic people. The strategy will be cross-Government in nature and will take a holistic approach towards addressing these challenges in a way that complements and aligns with wider action on disability.

Development of the strategy is currently at an advanced stage with drafting of the strategy being finalised at present. This follows several months of engagements right across Government to agree a suite of clear, simple actions that can address gaps in existing supports and services for autistic people within an 18 month timeframe.

An initial public consultation was held in April/May 2022 to capture the views and priorities of the autistic community. A report summarising this feedback received was published in April 2023. The findings of the public consultation are being carefully considered as part of the drafting process for the strategy. One of the issues that emerged in the public consultation was the importance of generating improved awareness and understanding of autism across society.

Once drafting of the strategy is complete, there will be a further public consultation prior to the formal adoption of the Autism Innovation Strategy. It is my intention that implementation of the strategy will begin in early 2024 and that is the clear focus of work for my officials at present.