Health Strategies
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-22
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Naoise Ó Cearúil (FF), Kildare North

These are all extremely positive initiatives. I commend the Minister of State on them. However, what remains to be addressed is how children and young people with autism are being dealt with through mental health supports. It is said that children's mental health supports need to be addressed through the relevant channels. Rather than actually analysing and looking at these two issues separately, the assertion is that the mental health difficulties here are due to the autism diagnosis. They may be connected, but they are two separate issues and need to be dealt with separately and supported separately. In this particular case, we are trying our best but we cannot get anywhere with it. I can only imagine how frustrating it is for the parents in this situation. It is about how people with autism are being dealt with in relation to mental health as well.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-22/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:32+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-22