A NATIONAL autism charity has called for greater supports for people living with the condition in the upcoming Budget 2024.
AsIAm, a nationwide charity supporting people with autism, has published its pre-Budget submission, calling on Government to bolster supports in they key areas of education, healthcare, social protection, and employment, stating that systemic barriers “continue to impede the full participation of autistic people in Irish society”.
Based on a survey of over 1,700 autistic people, AsIAm’s pre-Budget submission outlines 39 critical recommendations it hopes Government will take on board in its financial planning for the next year.
The charity recommended that 10 per cent of all funding towards healthcare should be portioned for mental health, as well as creating a pathway for autistic adults to more easily access mental health supports.
The charity’s report, included in the submission, showed that over half of autistic people surveyed found the education system to be non-inclusive, advocating for increased therapeutic supports for autistic children as well as reducing the ratio of teachers to students to 20:1.
The charity also called on Government to raise the disability and carers allowance in line with the average industrial wage, and introduce a ‘cost of disability allowance’ of €20 per week for disabled people.
AsIAm CEO Adam Harris, brother of Taoiseach Simon Harris, said 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.”
