‘It's cold but I've lots of chocolate', says brave teen, 14, holding 50-hr Dail sleep-out over disability exams inaction
DISABILITY rights campaigner Cara Darmody today pledged to see her 50-hour protest at Leinster House through and declared: 'I have lots of chocolate.'
Crusading Cara is undertaking the sleep-out at the
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The Tipperary teen met with Opposition leaders
Credit: PA
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Cara slammed the government for 'breaking the law'
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The 14-year-old started her 50-hour demo outside Leinster House from 10am today after being left exasperated with the backlog in the system.
And Cara insisted she won't stop campaigning until the chronic delays for
As she kicked-off the protest, Cara told how she stocked up on chocs and sweets for the sleep-out and revealed she would spend some of the 50 hours studying for her upcoming
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Cara was inspired to pursue her advocacy because her two brothers — 12-year-old Neil and 8-year-old John — are autistic and have severe to profound intellectual disabilities.
Cara's father Mark Darmody told how he was 'extremely proud' of his daughter's work for
Currently there are more than 15,000 children waiting for an assessment of need, which is often a key requirement for children accessing certain services and supports.
Under the law, children are legally entitled to an assessment of need within six months of applying.
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But shocking figures show just seven per cent of assessments were completed last year within the timeframes set out in the Disability Act 2005.
Cara blasted the Government for 'breaking the law' by failing to ensure timely assessments for children.
'NATIONAL CRISIS'
And the tenacious teenager is demanding 'meaningful steps' be taken to address what she branded as a 'national crisis'.
Cara stormed: 'Three previous Taoiseachs,
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'They promised that they were going to help me to bring this issue to an end, that the Government would stop breaking the law and that didn't happen.
'That's why I'm up here again, because Government are breaking the law by not assessing children within six months of the legal application when they apply for the assessment.
'ABSOLUTELY DISGRACEFUL'
'The government should be following the law and they should not be breaking and smashing the law.
'That is absolutely disgraceful.'
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Opposition party leaders met Cara outside the Dail as she launched her protest this morning.
And inside the Dail,
O'Callaghan asked Micheal Martin to outline the actions the Government would take immediately and asked: 'Will you start complying with the law?'
But Martin admitted the
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CHANGE NEEDED
The
The Taoiseach responded: 'The HSE is not in a position to fulfil the law right now. You know that and I know that.
'We have to respond to enable us to get therapy services to children as effectively, optimally as we can.
'That is our agenda – to use the resources we have for children who need services.
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'That's both existing resources, how we add to those resources through recruitment and retention, and increasing the number of therapy places within our third-level colleges, to work on therapy assistance, more greater provision there.
'WORK SMARTER'
'But we have to, as a society, work smarter in terms of utilising the resources that are there right now in terms of therapists for the benefit of children.'
Cara's protest at Leinster House started today as the Dail debated a combined Opposition party motion on the crisis.
The motion was not opposed by the Government with Minister for Children and Disability
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Cara plans to get some study done during her protest
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Cara's protest has been raised in the Dail
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Under the law, children are legally entitled to an assessment of need within six months of applying
Credit: PA
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