Joint Committee on Autism to resume discussions on Autism Policy with Family Carers Ireland and Scottish Government Mental Health Directorate

The meeting will hear in Committee Room 4 of Leinster House will be split into two sessions:

• 11am – Representatives from Family Carers Ireland, Ms Catherine Cox, Head of Communications and Policy; Ms Clare Duffy, Policy and Public Affairs Manager; Ms Mary Courtney carer for her son who has autism;
• 12.30pm – Representatives from Scottish Government Mental Health Directorate, Ms Jacqueline Campbell, Unit Head, Autism, Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity Team; Ms Suzanne Kinross, Policy Manager, Autism, Learning Disabilities and Neurodiversity Team.

Committee Cathaoirleach Senator Micheál Carrigy said: “Family Carers Ireland is the national charity dedicated to supporting Ireland’s 500,000 family carers, many of whom provide support to an autistic person. Like other experts who have appeared before the Committee, they believe in a rights-based approach to the provision of supports, that recognises the significant strengths of autistic people and that places their voices and those of their families at the heart of planning and decision making. 

“In our second session, the Committee will hear about the approach taken by our colleagues in Scotland. The Scottish Government’s first Strategy for Autism was launched in 2011 to ensure that progress was made in delivering quality services for autistic people across Scotland. An independent evaluation of the strategy was published in 2021 and Members look forward to discussing these and related matters with representatives of the Scottish Government Mental Health Directorate. The Committee would also like to hear about the Scottish Parliament’s Cross-Party Group on Autism.”

The Joint Committee on Autism has 13 Members, eight from the Dáil and five from the Seanad.

The meeting in Committee Room 4 can be viewed live on Oireachtas TV.

Committee proceedings can also be viewed on the Houses of the Oireachtas Smartphone App, available for Apple and Android devices.