-National Autism Charity calls for significant increases in social protection supports in light of the cost-of-living crisis facing Autistic people and families
-Urgent need to meaningfully fund and resource disability and education services to vindicate the rights of Autistic people
Community Voices, Long Term Choices
AsIAm, Ireland's Autism Charity, has today published its Pre-Budget Submission for 2025. The document entitled Community Voices, Long Term Choices emphasises the urgent need for long-term decisions that will shape a more inclusive and equitable society for Autistic individuals.
The submission outlines 39 critical recommendations to the Government, across four key areas - education, healthcare, social protection, and employment. It highlights the systemic barriers that continue to impede the full participation of Autistic people in Irish society.
The submission is grounded in extensive engagement with the Autistic community, drawing insights from the Same Chance Report, which represents the experiences of over 1700 Autistic people and various consultations, including for the organisation’s submissions to the public consultations on the Autism Innovation Strategy and the Department of Social Protection's Green Paper on Disability Payments.
Speaking on the publication of the pre-budget submission, Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, said: "As we approach Budget 2025 and a general election, it is crucial that the Government takes decisive actions to support the Autistic community. Autistic people continue to face pervasive barriers in day-to-day life in Ireland, from receiving timely assessment and therapeutic support to accessing school, to participating in the community and securing employment. The barriers which our community face place enormous costs on our community, which in turn impact on health and wellbeing. It is critical the choices made in Budget 2025 are not short-term, once off measures but indicate long term, multi-year investment in equality for Autistic people and families.”
Mr. Harris continued, “Our submission provides a roadmap for the key areas of investment and change needed to bring about change for the at least 1 in 27 people in Ireland who are Autistic. In particular, we are asking the government to break the link between Autism and poverty, invest in the soon-to-be-published Autism Innovation Strategy and to ensure that every Autistic person can access the right support at the right time. By targeting investment in inclusive education, disability and health services, and social protection, we can build a society where everyone has the same chance to participate in every aspect of Irish life.”
Jasmine Allen, who is an Autistic young person and member of AsIAm’s Youth Leadership Team, commented on the publication of the pre-budget submission: "As a young Autistic person, I have often found that society did not provide me with the same chance. One of the reasons why I joined the AsIAm Youth Leadership Team was to help in some way to bring about a change in people's attitude to Autistic people. This is why this upcoming budget is so important to me and my Autistic friends that government invests in the calls AsIAm has made in their pre-budget submission to ensure Autistic people like me are given the same chance in Irish society "
Key Highlights from the Submission:
Education:
56% of those represented in the Same Chance report believe the education system is not inclusive of Autistic people. The government spends €2.6 billion on special education, with an additional €113 million committed for 2024. In Budget 2025, AsIAm are calling on Government to:
• Invest €25 million in reducing the pupil-to-teacher ratio to 20:1.
• Increase the capital budget for Education by at least 10%, to allow for school transport to be treated as capital expenditure.
• Hire 10 new Senior NEPS Psychologists and 50 new main grade psychologists over the next two years at a cost of €7.7 million.
• Deliver therapeutic support for children with additional needs within the school environment. Funding currently provided to the National Council for Special Education for 39 therapy posts per year as part of the School Inclusion Model should be increased and regularised in Budget 2025.
Social Protection:
61% of those represented in the Same Chance report believe the Social Protection system is not inclusive of Autistic people, and 66% say the current social protection rates are insufficient.
In response to this AsIAm is asking Government to:
• Raise Disability Allowance in line with average industrial wages commencing on 1st January 2025. For this budget that will be a cost of €102 million.
• Raise Carers Allowance in line with average industrial wages commencing on 1st January 2025. This will be at a cost of €53 million.
• Introduce a Cost of Disability payment of €20 per week for Disabled people. This will be at an annual cost of €380 million.
Disability Services and Healthcare:
Half of Autistic people face barriers to accessing mental health supports. Additionally, 37% of children on the waiting list for Children and Disability Network Teams (CDNT) have been waiting for over four years, with 34% of CDNT roles vacant nationwide. Almost 8,900 children are overdue for Assessment of Need, with 7,000 waiting longer than three months.
In response to above AsIAm is asking the government to:
• Enact legislation to require the State to publish an autism strategy every three years, ensuring ongoing commitment and accountability.
• Commit to 10% of the overall health budget being allocated to mental health services.
• Invest €15 million in the overall implementation of the Autism Innovation Strategy over its lifetime, including €1 million investment in local autism groups annually over the course of the next 5 years.
• Create a pathway for Autistic adults to access an assessment of need as well as the follow-up multi-disciplinary supports, including mental health supports.
Employment:
• Calls for the implementation of recommendations from the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism to enhance employment opportunities for Autistic individuals.
• For Autistic adults seeking employment, the Government must fully implement recommendations 75-86 of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism Final Report.
Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, stated: "As we approach Budget 2025 and a general election, it is crucial that the Government takes decisive actions to support the Autistic community. Autistic people continue to face pervasive barriers in day-to-day life in Ireland, from receiving timely assessment and therapeutic support to accessing school, to participating in the community and securing employment. The barriers which our community face place enormous costs on our community, which in turn impact on health and wellbeing. Our submission reflects the collective aspirations and needs of Autistic people and their families. By investing in inclusive education, healthcare, and social protection, we can build a society where everyone has the same chance to participate in every aspect of Irish life."
