All the money so far provided from a fund for autism services announced by Health Minister James Reilly last year has been spent on cutting waiting lists for children with autism in his north Dublin constituency, it has been reported.

Just €300,000 of the €3 million allocated for a three-year period to autism services by Minister Reilly in January 2012 has so far been allocated, and all of it to north Dublin, according to The Irish Times.

The €300,000 allocated this year is being used to fill five staff posts at a HSE's unit for children with autism - Beechpark Services in north Dublin - in order to cut waiting lists there.

The Minister decided not to allocate the remaining €700,000 from the promised extra funding pending the outcome of a review he has ordered into spending on autism services generally.

A spokesman for Dr Reilly said funding for Beechpark Services had been granted because of specific problems with waiting lists in that area and the Minister was trying to increase funding for autism services and early intervention.