The Autism Act
Legislation for a National Autism Strategy in Northern Ireland:
Despite unanimous cross party support in 2007 for Legislation for autism, pushed for by Autism NI, very little progress has been made since.
The All Party Assembly Group on Autism was founded in 2008 and the Northern Ireland Assembly Health Committee has been on a fact finding mission to Wales to find out about Wales’ National Autism Strategy in early 2009. In March 2009 saw the Stand up for Autism Rally at Stormont and a Northern Ireland Debate on Autism which began the detailing of the content of planned legislation.
- Click here to find out more at the website of Autism Northern Ireland
Cross Party Autism Groups
In the Northern Ireland Assembly:
In Northern Ireland healthcare services are devolved from the UK Parliament and are under the governance of the Northern Ireland Legislative. Northern Ireland therefore also has its own All Party Assembly Group on Autism (APAGA) made up of Legislative Assembly Members (MLAs).
All Party Groups provide a forum by which MLAs and outside organisations and individuals can meet to discuss shared interests in a particular cause or subject. The Autism Group was set up in 2008 to be a forum to raise awareness and promote the interests of people with autistic spectrum disorders, their families and carers in the Northern Ireland Assembly and the Northern Ireland Government.
At Present the Chairperson is Dominic Bradley (Social Democratic Labour Party MLA for Newry and Armagh);
The Vice-Chairpersons are Michelle O’Neill (Sinn Fein MLA for Mid-Ulster) and
Tom Buchanan (Democratic Unionist Party MLA for West Tyrone);
The Secretary is George Savage (Ulster Unionist Party MLA for Upper Bann);
The Treasurer is John McCallister (Ulster Unionist Party MLA for South Down).
- Click here to find out more about The APAGA, contact details and names of other MLA members of group.
- Click here to find out their goals in the APAGA Leaflet
The Secretariat for APAGA is provided by the Northern Ireland Autism Society.
You can contact them on: 028 9040 1729 or by emailing arlene@autismni.org
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