Budget 2025 measures fall short on the long-term focus for the Autistic and Disabled Community
October 1, 2024 AsIAm, Ireland’s Autism Charity, today welcomes some of the measures in Budget 2025 but is concerned that the budgetary measures fall short of what is expected and what is needed for the Autistic community and families in Ireland today. While the Government recently published the Autism Innovation Strategy, Budget 2025 was a missed opportunity to strategically prioritise the actions set out within the Strategy, and the recommendations of the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism.
Measures such as the increase of €12 in Disability Allowance, Carers Allowance and Domiciliary Care Allowance fall well short of giving our community the same chance. We hear from Autistic people and families across Ireland of having to navigate long waiting lists for assessment, lack of access to school places and transport, wellbeing and social exclusion, lack of opportunities to live independently in the community, and to belong and be included in society as they are.
In our Pre-Budget Submission, AsIAm focused on the long-term choices the Government must make to ensure that the Autistic community are supported to belong, feel accepted and included in all aspects of Irish society. Reflecting these collective aspirations, concerns, and needs of our community in Ireland, AsIAm called on government for increased investment in education, in social protection, in disability services and supports, and to invest in the Autism Innovation Strategy. This includes:
- Investment to make our education system more inclusive, including an additional €25 million to reduce the pupil-to-teacher ratio to 20:1.
- Raising social protection payments in line with the average industrial wage
- Introducing a Cost of Disability payment of €20 per week
- Setting out legislation to publish and enact a National Autism Strategy every three years, and €15 million to implement the Autism Innovation Strategy
- Greater investment to recruit more clinical staff and tackle waiting lists for Assessment of Need within our public health system;
Adam Harris, CEO of AsIAm, commented on this year’s Budget announcement, saying “We heard today from the Minister for Finance of the importance of long-term solutions. Long-term solutions require bold action which cover the whole fabric of society from education, employment, social protection to accessing quality and timely disability services. Although we welcome significant increases in investment in today’s budget in areas such as Inclusive Education and Disability Services, we are concerned that an approach of ‘a little, for a lot’ has been taken which will not provide the strategic investment needed to ensure Autistic people have the same chance in Irish life. This should not be inevitable or accepted parts of living in society as an Autistic people or raising an Autistic person. The Government’s Autism Innovation Strategy and the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Autism’s Final Report, both look to the long-term provision and supports for our community members and families, but that perspective is missing from today’s budget.
Key investments in inclusive education, a world class social care and health service are central to achieve equality for our community. Today’s increased investment in these sectors is welcome but does not ensure every Autistic person has the right to receive the right support at the right time.
There is presently an inexcusable link between being Autistic and experiencing poverty, being Autistic and unemployment, being Autistic and being excluded from school, being Autistic and experiencing discrimination within mental health services. We need ambitious, thematic well-managed investment to break this link. Budget 2025 contained unprecedented levels of spending, much of it of short-term benefit, but short-term measures do not break down systemic challenges which are an unacceptable norm for our community.”
He added, “It is a step in the right direction that we hear of the increased threshold of carers allowance on means testing but we must ensure that this payment is abolished in the long-term. The current means testing system penalises carers. We are disappointed to note there was no reference to a cost of disability payment for our community members. If we are to value all in society equally, we must ensure parity of access to financial supports far beyond once off measures. We recognise we have heard a high-level overview of budget 2025 measures; we look forward to examining the full package in the hours and days ahead to consider its full impact on our community”
Ciara Jones, parent of an Autistic teenager with an intellectual disability said, “Individuals and carers have to be at the heart of Government policy. It is vital for children and young people with additional needs to have access to timely and key supports. We as parents should not have to beg and shout for these key supports. It is welcome that we see the increased spending in education, but we must ensure that we do not have the same issue of children not having access to an appropriate school placement happen again and again.”
