From Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth 

Published on 14 April 2023

• Report summarises feedback received through public consultation process
• Publication coincides with World Autism Month

To coincide with World Autism Month 2023, Minister for Disability, Anne Rabbitte, has today published a report analysing submissions received during an open public consultation designed to inform the development of the Autism Innovation Strategy.

This public consultation was convened in April 2022 and was designed to capture views about the challenges facing Autistic people in Ireland and how these challenges could be addressed.

There was a positive response from the Autistic community and the report aims to capture the richness and variety of perspectives put forward as part of the consultation.

The key findings identified in the report will directly inform the drafting of the Autism Innovation Strategy.

The Autism Innovation Strategy will seek to identify and deliver tangible solutions to address the bespoke challenges faced by Autistic and Neurodivergent people across Ireland. The strategy will identify simple, clear actions that can make a real difference to people’s lives. It will focus on areas that may not be addressed by other national strategies and frameworks on the basis of additionality and complementarity.

Announcing the publication of the report, Minister Rabbitte said:

“I am delighted to announce the publication of this important report that seeks to capture the voice of the Autistic community and highlights their views as to how the State can better recognise and meet their needs.

“It is crucial that the Autism Innovation Strategy be informed by the lived experience of Autistic people, and this report provides an invaluable source of insights and perspectives in this regard. I would like to thank all those individuals and organisations that contributed to the public consultation.

“Publication of this report is particularly timely as we mark World Autism Month 2023. This is an important opportunity to celebrate the contribution of the Autistic community to our society and to consider how we as a Government and a society can do more for Autistic and Neurodivergent people.

“I look forward to further progressing development of the Autism Innovation Strategy over the coming months as we work to make a meaningful difference to the lives of Autistic and Neurodivergent people in Ireland,”

concluded Minister Rabbitte.

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Action on Autism is a commitment in the Programme for Government.

On World Autism Awareness Day in 2021, Minister Rabbitte announced the Government’s intention to develop a national strategy on Autism. The Autism Innovation Strategy will complement existing policies and frameworks by addressing the bespoke challenges faced by Autistic and Neurodivergent people in Ireland.

Consultation with Autistic and Neurodivergent people, their families, supporters and representatives will be at the heart of the Autism Innovation Strategy, in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The first stage in the development process of the Autism Innovation Strategy consisted of an initial public consultation, which took place from April to May 2022. The report published today summarises and analyses the submissions received as part of this consultation.

The second phase of the development process, comprising an application process for membership of the Autism Innovation Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group, was launched in June 2022. The group was appointed and met for the first time in December 2022.

The findings from the public consultation will now help to inform the text and scope of the Strategy, which is currently being prepared.

AIS Report on Public Consultation_April 2023

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