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Extra.ie
21-05-2025
- Politics
- Extra.ie
Cara Darmody, 14, in 50-hour Leinster House protest
A 14-year-old Tipperary native has camped outside Leinster House overnight as part of her 50-hour protest regarding the Assessments of Needs (AON) crisis affecting children with disabilities. Cara Darmody has been campaigning for better service for families with children with disabilities for three years, noting that it is both a 'national disgrace and international embarrassment' on how children are treated in Ireland. The Assessments of Needs Law states that children with autism should be assessed within six months of application. Cara Darmody. Pic: Provided The young campaigner said: 'It is not acceptable in my book — how can the Cabinet expect teenagers like me to obey the laws of our lands, when they are the ones that break a law openly and with impunity. 'It is a national disgrace and an international embarrassment in how we treat children in Ireland with Autism or Intellectual Disabilities. 'It must end — right here, right now.' Cara's two younger brothers — Neil, 12, and John, 8, both have autism and severe/profound intellectual disabilities, with the secondary school student saying they were both 'failed dramatically by the State' regarding the Assessments & Services that they received. Cara Darmody. Pic: Provided Cara added: 'There is nothing in my advocacy for them, I now do it for the national picture.' On Tuesday morning at 10am, Cara commenced a 50-hour protest outside the front of Leinster House, which resulted in her sleeping in a tent overnight on Tuesday. The Tipperary teen confirmed she had written recently to An Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris with her asks. These are: Declaration of a national emergency for children and the immediate cessation of breaking the AON law. Allocation of immediate and additional funding to 'Cara's Fund' — towards AON backlogs. Creation of a task force to examine & remove possible obstacles. Specific financial allocation towards backlogs of Services such as SLT, OT, physio. Permission to address the Cabinet sub-committee on Disability. Cara said: 'I would give a dramatic address to ty and inspire the sub-committee to follow my lead in breaking down impossible barriers and to finally bring this AON issue under control. 'I will not stop until this Government, who is asleep at the wheel on the issue, wakes up and treats it as an emergency.'
The Journal
20-05-2025
- Politics
- The Journal
Teenager to begin 50 hour protest outside Leinster House over assessments of needs wait times
TEENAGE CAMPAIGNER CARA Darmody will begin a 50-hour protest outside Dáil Éireann today over the Government's failure to deliver assessments of needs (AON) on time. The 14-year old, who has two brothers with severe autism, has spearheaded a campaign to compel the Government to improve access to services for people with disabilities. Darmody said the main focus of her campaign is on the fact that the Government is breaking the law in relation to the delivery of assessments of needs. 'Assessments of needs' are formal procedures set out under the Disability Act 2005 that are intended to identify a child's health and educational needs. The HSE is legally obliged to carry out a full assessment within six months of receiving an application. This should then be followed up with any additional services required. An assessment is not required to access services, however, in practice it is a key element in getting a child into the system. A recent response to a parliamentary question revealed that just 7% of assessments were completed within the six-month timeframe, while over 15,000 children are currently overdue an assessment. Advertisement 'By not assessing autistic children within 6 months in 93% of cases means that the Disability Act law is being systematically broken, and this has been going on for almost a decade. 'It is not acceptable in my book – how can the Cabinet expect teenagers like me to obey the laws of our land, when they are the ones that break a law openly and with impunity,' Darmody said in a statement ahead of today's protest. Darmody's protest today comes as the Dáil is set to hear hours of statements on the issue alongside a cross-party Opposition motion on the issue following a successful campaign from the teenager. The motion comes after Opposition party leaders met with Darmody in recent weeks. She also spoke to Children's Minister Norma Foley in recent days. 'The initial motivation for my advocacy was because I have two brothers, Neil (12) and John (8), who have autism and severe/profound intellectual disabilities. 'They were both failed dramatically by the State in relation to the assessments and services that they received. There is nothing in my advocacy for them, I now do it for the national picture,' Darmody said ahead of today's protest. The teenager is calling for the Government to declare a national emergency and stop breaking the law in relation to assessments of needs. She is also asking for the creation of a task force to examine and remove barriers that exist in relation to employment in the sector, and additional funding for 'Cara's Fund'. 'Cara's Fund' was so named by then Taoiseach Simon Harris in October 2024 when he allocated an additional €10m towards dealing with the backlog of assessments. Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Daily Mirror
16-05-2025
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Opposition table joint motion as over 15K children overdue Assessment of Needs
Over 15,000 children are awaiting an Assessment of Need required to access services and therapies. The five main opposition parties will table a motion in the Dáil next week to put pressure on the Government to provide these services. An Assessment of Need (AON) identifies whether a child has a disability, the nature and extent of the disability, and any health and education needs that may arise. Under law, once the HSE receives an application in writing, they must start the assessment within three months and complete it within an additional three months. Details from the HSE given to Sinn Féin TD Claire Kerrane confirmed that the number of AONs overdue for completion at the end of March 2025 stood at 15,296. This represents an increase of 8% on the end 2024 figure of 14,221. Some 1,412 AONs were completed in the first quarter of 2025, a 65% increase on the same period in 2024 of 849. The HSE stated that the percentage of these AONs that show 'No Disability' has increased from 15.8% in 2010 to 26% in Q1 2025. They also confirmed to Deputy Kerrane that 3,131 new applications were received in the first three months of the year, a 20% increase on the figure for the same period last year of 2,603. The HSE told Ms Kerrane that a March 2022 High Court case stated that the HSE's AON checks were not meeting the standard required under the Disabilities Act, and it is now required to deliver diagnostic assessments where necessary. Tipperary teenager and disabilities campaigner Cara Darmody will begin a 50-hour protest outside the Dáil next week. In an unusual move, Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit and Independent Ireland have tabled a joint motion which will be debated in the Dáil next Tuesday to coincide with the protest. The motion states that children are 'legally entitled to an assessment of their health and education needs' within six months and that 'the law is being broken with respect to the 15,296 children whose assessment of need is overdue'. It calls on the Government to 'comply with its legal obligations' and to make funding available for 'Cara's Fund' to clear the backlog. The opposition has also called on the Government to 'set a specific target date by which the Government aims to comply with the legal entitlement to an Assessment of Need under the Disability Act 2005'. Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has said that children have been 'scandalously left waiting for services and support' Deputy Kerrane, meanwhile, stated that there has been a 'frightening increase in the waiting list for Assessment of Needs from 500 in the summer of 2021 to over 15,000 now'. She added: 'Worryingly, the HSE anticipates that this will only get worse and expects that by the end of 2025, there could be as many as 24,796 assessments of need due for completion. 'It is clear that the government still does not have a plan to stop the state from breaking the law and to ensure that children get their assessment of needs within six months.'
Irish Examiner
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Examiner
Cara's fund: Government 'must clear backlog of assessments for children with disabilities'
The Government must establish an emergency fund to clear the backlog of assessments of needs (AONs) for children with disabilities, a joint opposition motion has called for. The leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland are all backing the joint motion, which is set to be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday. The parties are bringing forward the motion to coincide with a protest by 14-year old disability campaigner, Cara Darmody, who is set to hold vigil outside the Dáil next week in a 50-hour protest. 'To coincide with it, the combined opposition have come together to bring forward a joint motion to demand that the government provide children with the assessments of need within six months as required by law,' a statement from the leaders reads. '15,296 children are now overdue their assessment of need, left waiting for services and support. This is not good enough and we are going to fight until it is sorted. The motion itself is calling for the Dáil to recognise that children are 'legally entitled to an assessment of their health and education needs', and this should take place within six months. It also calls on the Government to take emergency action and to ensure funding is available for assessment of needs through 'Cara's Fund', which could be used to clear the backlog. Teenage Disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody speaking to supporters outside Leinster House. File picture: Sam Boal/Collins Opposition parties are also calling for the Government to set a date by which they will comply with their legal obligation to provide assessment of needs, as well as to develop a sustainable plan to recruit and train more staff. The motion also calls for more funds to be allocated towards special needs services, like speech and language, physio and occupational and behavioural therapies, as well as providing more school places for children with special needs. Ms Darmody, who has two brothers with severe autism, is set to hold the protest from 10am on May 20. She will sleep outside the gates of Leinster House in a tent, set within a specially cordoned off area. The joint motion between multiple opposition parties and groups is an unusual step, but there has been very close cooperation between the opposition following on from the aftermath of the Dáil speaking rights row. It is likely that the Government will table its own countermotion, as is standard practice. Read More Tipp schoolgirl Cara Darmody to mount 50-hour protest outside the Dáil for better autism services
