Cara sees our daily struggle but fights for all families, says dad of teen holding 50-hr Dail protest over autism delays

The Irish Sun

14-05-2025

THE father of a teenage disability campaigner who is coming out of 'advocacy retirement' to stage a sleep-out protest at Leinster House next week has hailed his daughter's achievements.
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Cara Darmody is planning a 50-hour protest outside the Dail
Credit: Collins Photos
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Cara's brother John with his autism assistance dog
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Cara's other brother Neil also has autism
The second-year student has already met with
Speaking to
Mark told us: 'Her achievements and her records are huge.
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'We have to take into account that she did get €10 million of government funding, credited to her solely, last October from then Taoiseach Simon Harris.
'She has a record of actually getting huge success from the government. So, I suppose she felt that she needed to do something different and quite dramatic to get systematic change.
'While the then Taoiseach gave €10 million, which was extremely welcome at the time, and I think three and a half thousand children have benefited from that to date.
'The problem is, is that there's no system change. So the numbers are now going back up. So it's going in one direction and it's not a good direction.'
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The proud dad, 49, added: 'Cara feels that if she doesn't step in now and get them back to the table, then this is going to be like the Titanic in six months time or in one year's time.
'She felt, to use her words, that she had to come out of advocacy retirement.'
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An Assessment of Need (AON) - as outlined in the Disability Act 2005 - is an assessment carried out by the
These assessments should start within three months and be completed within a further three months, giving a six month overall timeframe.
However, the Dail heard in February of this year that 90 per cent of assessments were being completed outside these legal requirements outlined in the Disability Act.
The Social Democrats' Cian O'Callaghan told the
PROTEST PLANS
As part of new action, Cara will sleep in a tent outside Leinster House from 10am on Tuesday May 20 until 12pm on Thursday May 22, in a 50-hour protest.
Last June Cara vowed to protest outside the Dail every day until the General Election if progress was not made on assessment waiting times.
The protest - which saw Cara sit outside Leinster House with a sign reading 'Taoiseach please pay for all autism assessments and services' - resulted in the brave teenager meeting with then Taoiseach Simon Harris.
She was also flown to the US by actor
FAMILY SUPPORT
The schoolgirl - who has brothers Neil, 12, and John, eight, both with severe autism - will study for her second year school summer exams from her tent during the protest next week and dad Mark will accompany his brave daughter during the protest, while mum Noelle holds the fort at home.
"Cara feels that if she doesn't step in now and get them back to the table, then this is going to be like the Titanic in six months time or in one year's time."
Mark Darmody
Looking ahead to next week's action Mark told us: 'She just wants to hold them to account next week on the breaking of the law.
'And I think that those are the words you're going to hear very substantially from her next week. 'you're breaking the law'.'
He added: 'They just seem unable to treat this like a national crisis to get something done about it. And that's your issue there.'
NO NERVES
And the doting dad revealed his daughter is not nervous ahead of the protest next week and is instead excited to help people.
He explained: 'She gets so excited at the thought of helping other people. She really does, because there's nothing in this for her. We're not looking for anything for our family.'
As a father to two boys with intellectual disabilities Mark admitted their family know the struggle facing thousands across the country.
But he stressed Cara's fight is not for their family but for change on a national level.
'FAMILY SUFFERS'
He said: 'We kind of forget that we're just ordinary parents, our family suffers the same as everyone else.
'So Cara sees our struggles on a daily basis, struggles that a family shouldn't have to go through. She doesn't fight our battles for us, nor is she involved in those.
'Her advocacy, that's not about her brothers. She's had this in her head for some years now to tackle the national advocacy. We are immensely proud of her.'
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Care was Colin Farrell's keynote speaker at his Foundation for Intellectual Disability's Gala