Madam, - Mr Justice Kelly's condemnation of the State's tactic of dragging the parents of autistic children all the way to the steps of the courts is both timely and apposite. Unfortunately, the judge's comments, rooted as they are in the concepts of social responsibility and compassion, are likely to strike a discordant note with a Government that has consistently sought to eradicate the notion of social justice from political discourse.
The imminence of a general election was the only thing that prevented the last FF/PD coalition from closing off the legal avenue through the introduction of a Disability Bill that was designed to save money rather than provide services. Fianna Fáil's arrogant dismissal of social concern as "middle-class guilt" and Michael McDowell's castigation of what he sees as the "evils" of a rights-based society are recent examples of the extent to which economic dogma has replaced a sense of social justice in the Coalition.
It is a sad indictment of the present situation that it is necessary to justify the provision of services to autistic children on economic grounds. The only consolation is that this is easily done. Expert opinion is unanimous in insisting that early intervention can achieve dramatic improvements in future quality of life. An investment in services for young children would result in a significant dividend for the State through reduced demand on services by the time these children reach their early to mid teens. The arithmetic is obvious but, the political reluctance to act stems from a perceived lack of electoral rather than economic gain.
A substantial investment in 2003 would only begin to deliver lasting economic benefits during the period 2010-2015, by which time Bertie Ahern and his swashbuckling crew will have sailed over the political horizon to batten on their comfortable pensions and regale their grandchildren with stories of how their elbow-sharpening exercises stood them in good stead during the photo-opportunity jamboree that was the Special Olympics.
Meanwhile, the signs are ominous. With the Special Olympics looming, the Government is stalling on the introduction of the new Disability Bill. I hope I am wrong but the emerging PD-led consensus on the need to prioritise the short-term protection of resources over the provision of basic human rights seems to suggest that the present Government policy of seeking to deny autistic children the services that could help transform their lives is set to continue. - Yours, etc.,
BRENDAN BUNBURY, Limekiln Drive, Manor Estate, Dublin 12.