Teenager vows to ‘resist' any weakening of six-month timeframe for assessments

Belfast Telegraph

11-06-2025

Cara Darmody, 14, addressed the Oireachtas Disability Committee on Wednesday about the backlog in the assessment of need (AON) system.
An AON is carried out to identify if a child, children or young person has a disability, and is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements.
Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the AON to be completed within six months.
On the possibility of changes to the laws being in train, Cara said she would 'vigorously resist any negative change' to the six-month timeframe, saying she believed it would cause 'further permanent damage to children'.
The total number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March 2025 stood at 15,296, an 8% rise on the end of 2024.
Throughout the first quarter of this year, just 7% of assessments were completed within the timeframes set out in the Disability Act 2005 and accompanying regulations.
The HSE said that demand for AONs continues to outstrip system capacity, despite increases in activity and commissions from private assessors.
The health service anticipates that by the end of the year there could be as many as 24,796 AONs due for completion.
Opposition parties including Sinn Fein, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit-Solidarity, Independent Ireland and Aontu have supported Cara's campaign.
Last month she staged a 50-hour protest outside Leinster House.
She was initially motivated to pursue her advocacy because her two brothers have autism and severe/profound intellectual disabilities.
Speaking at Committee, Cara said: 'My own story is very simple, I have two brothers Neil, 12, and John, eight, who are autistic and severely and profoundly intellectually disabled.
'They were both failed dramatically by the state in relation to assessments and services, and Neil remains in an inappropriate school place.
'Our story is the story of so many thousands of other families. I cannot do anything to change the permanent damage caused to Neil and John, but I can advocate to stop damage being done to autistic children in the future.'
She said Taoiseach Micheal Martin and the wider Government are breaking the law over the delivery of AONs.
'Three different taoisigh have made promises to me to fix this issue, and all have dramatically failed.'
She added: 'Let me explain how they're breaking the law. The Disability Act of 2005, an Act created by this House, states that an assessment of need must be carried out within six months, full-stop.
'That six-month timeframe is there because every single person knows that early intervention is the key.
'It's also generally accepted that when early intervention doesn't occur, that damage is caused to children with disabilities. It's a no-brainer.'
Cara said she was shocked that Mr Martin would not declare a national emergency over the matter.
She said the taoiseach should also set up a taskforce to address the matter, and increase financing for 'Cara's Fund'.