I welcome the Taoiseach's reference to the Middletown Centre for Autism on the Armagh-Monaghan border. Nothing better underlines the absence of priority and commitment on the part of this Government in respect of autism than the reality that, even now, despite the fact the British and Irish Governments have acquired the property at Middletown from the St. Louis order, the centre is not expected to be resourced and up and running until autumn 2006. If there was a real sense of urgency in this area, the project would be fast-tracked and the centre would be up and running in 2005. It should have been up and running a long time ago.

Will the Taoiseach indicate by way of response to the families who are crying out for further redress of autism, and in light of all that is now taking place in this area, whether he will fast-track the Middletown autism centre so it will be completed in 2005?

The minute allowed to the Deputy has concluded.

The Taoiseach should make no mistake about the fact that he could make a critical difference by recasting the Disability Bill. This would ensure that rights-based legislation — it must be such — will properly guarantee——

The Deputy's time has concluded.

——that children and people with special needs and disabilities will receive the services and resources they require and that these services and resources will not be taken from them at the whim of some future Minister for Finance.

Is the Taoiseach even aware that the task force on autism went further than this demand and indicated that there was a requirement to address this matter in respect of the Constitution?

The time is concluded.

Will the Taoiseach——

Sorry, Deputy——

——use this opportunity to respond positively to the affected families?

I cannot give Deputy Ó Caoláin the exact date of completion. The original date was to be in the autumn of 2006 and those concerned are working towards that.

The Deputy is obviously familiar with the Middletown Centre for Autism. There are a number of key facilities to be provided in the centre. There is to be a residential learning support service, which means the whole issue must be dealt with and the centre must be capable of taking people on a residential basis. There will be an educational assessment service, a training and advisory service, which is enormously important, and an autism research and information service.

The centre must be physically constructed and prepared. Most important, the expert staff in this area must be recruited. It is estimated that the project will be completed in 18 months but I hope it will be sooner. The plan has already been approved. The Minister for Education and Science, Deputy Hanafin, is enormously supportive of it and has been driving it forward. It will be up and running next year. Obviously, all the other areas that I mentioned are already ongoing.

This is an area in respect of which the budget has increased, in a small number of years, from zero euro to over €400 million. There was no funding initially because the area had not been identified as a special area. This funding is mainly expended on professional staff who are dedicated to trying to assist families, such as the one to which the Deputy referred, in dealing with the educational and health issues associated with autism. They are trying to deal with the considerable difficulties faced by these families.

Will the Taoiseach recast the Disability Bill?

We must now move to questions for the Taoiseach. Question No. 1 is in the name of Deputy Kenny.

Did the Taoiseach say "Yes"?

Deputy Ó Caoláin, we have moved on.