Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 13 Feb 2002

Vol. 548 No. 3

Adjournment Debate. - Autism Services.

Mr. Deenihan:

I thank the Leas-Cheann Comhairle for allowing me to raise this issue on the Adjournment. I tried previously but failed. There are three services in Kerry dealing with the needs of autistic children. The Brothers of Charity have a special service in Tralee that treats cases from diagnosis until five years and 11 months.

They operate in Tralee, Listowel and Killarney. In St. John's national school, Balloonagh, Tralee, a mainstream primary school for girls, there is one class for autistic children in which two pupils are enrolled.

Nano Nagle special school in Listowel caters for the moderately to severely mentally handicapped. It has 65 pupils, all of whom have moderate or severe degrees of mental handicap and some of whom have been diagnosed as autistic. For the past year one class of six autistic children has been housed in a portacabin to the rear of the school. There is a proposal to build two classrooms, but this is inadequate. At least four are required for classes of six pupils each. The reason for this is that the incidence of autism in County Kerry is increasing. The children range in age from six to 18 years and it will be impossible, from an educational point of view, to accommodate them in just two classrooms. Architects from the Department were on site yesterday and informed the board of management that it will be at least three years before the two classrooms are provided. Four classes should be provided as soon as possible. I cannot see any reason this cannot happen before three years are up. It should be quite simple to design and build them.

A commitment was given to draw up a database of the number of people affected by autism in County Kerry. That has not happened and there are no clear statistics available to indicate the number with autism. I would like the Minister of State to indicate what is happening. There are 30 autistic adults at St. Finian's in Killarney and St. Mary of the Angels in Beaufort and we should look at services for them as well as at those for children. They are not suitable places for people with autism for whom County Kerry needs a centre. The task force on autism, established four years ago, has not reported and I would like the Minister of State to say when its final report is to be published.

I speak on behalf of a number of very concerned parents. Services in County Kerry are inadequate and probably inferior to those in every other county. I would like the Minister of State to offer the parents concerned some hope at least.

Minister of State at the Department of Health and Children (Dr. Moffatt):

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter and giving me, on behalf of my colleague, the Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, the opportunity to outline the position on this issue.

Specific funding has been targeted at enhancing the level of support available to children with autism and their families. Between 1998 and 2000, €6.35 million additional funding was provided to expand the level of health related support services available to them. A further €4.44 million was allocated in 2001 for these services for both children with autism and those with an intellectual disability. Additional funding amounting to €3.809 million is also being made available for these services in 2002 which will be aimed at assessment and diagnostic services, early intervention, pre-school and outreach support for school children, which services are provided by multidisciplinary teams which include speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, psychologists, psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, project workers and other support staff.

Responsibility for the provision of services for persons with autism in County Kerry is a matter, in the first instance, for the Southern Health Board. Between 1999 and 2000 additional revenue funding amounting to €724,000 was allocated to the board to enhance health related support services for children with autism. A further €317,000 was made available in 2001 and another €317,000 will come on stream in 2002 for health related support services for both children with autism and those with an intellectual disability. I have been informed by the board that a total of 28.5 posts have to date been allocated to the health related support services for children with autism from the specific funding given to it for this purpose. The services will be further expanded in 2002 as a result of the additional funding which has now been made available.

Decisions relating to the precise services to be put in place as a result of the additional 2002 funding are a matter for the Southern Health Board and will take account of the priorities identified for the region. This process is under way. A considerable proportion of these resources have been allocated to establish a regional assessment team managed by the Brothers of Charity Southern Services on behalf of the region. Funding for two speech and language therapists and a psychologist has been allocated to date, specifically for services in County Kerry. The board has established an autistic spectrum disorder steering group which is representative of the main service providers in each catchment area and also includes the regional autistic spectrum disorder co-ordinator. Part of the remit of this group is to finalise a regional development plan for the services which will be undertaken through a research project, in consultation with various representative parent groups, to establish the number of persons with autistic spectrum disorder in the region. This work is ongoing.

One of the areas of concern to the families is access to and availability of support services such as occupational and speech and language therapy. Many health boards and specialist service providers have been experiencing difficulties in recruiting the necessary professionals required to deliver these services due, primarily, to the general shortage of available staff in these grades nationally. Health boards have been and are continuing to undertake intensive recruitment drives both at home and abroad.

In response to his concern regarding the severe labour shortages affecting the therapy professions nationwide the Minister commissioned a report on current and future supply and demand conditions in the labour market for certain professional therapists. The study, a comprehensive assessment of workforce requirements for qualified personnel in these areas up to 2015, was published in July 2001. The Minister is now working with the Minister for Education and Science and the Higher Education Authority to increase the numbers training for these professions in line with the needs identified in the report. His Department is also undertaking a number of initiatives in relation to the career structures, workload, working practices and skill mix issues of those identified in the report of the expert group on various health professionals. All these measures, together with continued investment in the services, will greatly assist with delivery of an enhanced level of support in these areas to persons with autism and their families.

The Government is committed to the continued development of services for persons with autism and working with the Southern Health Board to bring about an enhanced level of support for those availing of its services.