We work with every party and group in the Oireachtas, both in Government and in Opposition, to advocate on behalf of policies that meet the needs of Ireland’s autism community, and address the barriers to access and inclusion that Autistic people and our wider community experience all across Irish society. Our team includes members of various political affiliations and opinions. We hope this attention to diversity is reflective of our equally diverse autism community.
We work with every party and group in the Oireachtas, both in Government and in Opposition, to advocate on behalf of the Autistic community in Ireland. A key focus of our lobbying is to ensure inclusivity is at the heart of government policies which directly impact the Autistic community. We advocate for policies that espouse the objectives of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) which if implemented would create an inclusive and accessible society for the Autistic community.
Along with self-advocates and other disability organisations, we sit on a number of committees including the Autism Innovation Strategy Oversight and Advisory Group, HSE’s Autism Programme Board, the National Housing Steering Group and we liaise with a wide range of government departments and state agencies to ensure they understand Autistic people’s experiences better.
As part of our commitment to transparency, and as part of our obligations, every four months we publish a list of our interactions with designated public officials on lobbying.ie. These interactions include politicians but also other state agencies such as the Health Service Executive (HSE), the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) and the Teaching Council among other agencies. We believe in working with members of all parties and from all public bodies to advocate for meaningful changes for the Autistic community.
All of our lobbying records can be viewed here at the here at the Register of Lobbying Returns’ website.