Written answers
Tuesday, 13 February 2024
Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth
Departmental Priorities
Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, RISE)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
533. To ask the Minister for Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth in relation to the plan for Dublin to become an "autism and neurodiverse friendly" city, if he is aware that changes in relation to things like unpredictable public transport, where bus numbers change when shifting from public to private ownership, routes drop of the digital display unexpectedly, and timetables being unpredictable and beyond reasonable delays due to traffic and people entering and exiting the bus, can cause autistic (or neurodiverse) individuals to dysregulate and, in some situations, can cause extreme anxiety and distress; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6302/24]
Anne Rabbitte (Galway East, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source
I am aware of efforts being taken by Dublin City Council and the Lord Mayor of Dublin to make Dublin a more autism-friendly city. I would direct the Deputy to contact Dublin City Council directly for further information about this initiative.
More broadly, within my remit as Minister of State with Special Responsibility, I am committed to improving the lives of autistic people and their families right across Ireland, in line with the commitment in the Programme for Government. Support for disabled people, including autistic people, is advanced on a mainstream first basis, this means that individual departments and agencies support persons with disabilities within their areas of responsibility. This is in line with the approach set out in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which Ireland ratified in 2018.
I recognise that autistic people and their families face a range of challenges and barriers in all areas of life, including in relation to accessing and using transport. It is for this reason that I have prioritised development of a new national strategy on autism, the Autism Innovation Strategy, to address these bespoke challenges.
The Autism Innovation Strategy will provide a framework for cross-Government action on autism, which is designed to complement and enhance existing policy frameworks. It will seek to provide for better mainstream understanding and accommodation of the needs of autistic people across the public system.
A draft of the Autism Innovation Strategy has now been published. This data incorporates feedback submitted as part of an initial public consultation. The draft Strategy is also the product of extensive engagement 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 included careful consideration of the recommendations contained in the final report of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism.
A second public consultation is currently underway to give people an opportunity to share their views on the draft Strategy before it is finalised and adopted. More information is available on my Department's website at the following link:
www.gov.ie/en/consultation/f7f8d-public-consultation-on-the-autism-innovation-strategy/#:~:text=The%20Autism%20Innovation%20Strategy%20aims,and%20across%20the%20public%20system.
It is anticipated that the Strategy will be launched in the first half of this year and that is the clear focus of work for my officials at present.
No comments