Govt accused of 'causing permanent damage' to kids by 'breaking disability law'
A disabilities advocate will tell Taoiseach Micheál Martin and the Government that they are "causing permanent damage to children" by "breaking the law" on Assessments of Needs.
Cara Darmody, 14, will tell the Oireachtas Disabilities Committee this morning that 15,000 children are being "left to rot" on waiting lists.
An Assessment of Needs (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.
However, there are now 15,296 assessments overdue.
At the Disabilities Committee, Miss Darmody will tell politicians that she slept on the "dirty street outside" Leinster House last month as part of a 50-hour protest.
She will say that she has two brothers, Neil and John, who are autistic and "severely and profoundly intellectually disabled". She will argue that they were both "failed dramatically by the State".
Miss Darmody will say: "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.
"Let's cut straight to the chase, I'm here today to call out the blatant Assessments of Needs law-breaking by the Taoiseach and the Government.
"Three different Taoisigh have made promises to me to fix this issue, and all have dramatically failed."
She will continue: "Let's call a spade a spade – the law is being systematically smashed by the Government."
Miss Darmody will say there are 15,000 who have been "left to rot" on AON waiting lists.
She will add: "So I'm going to be blunt to the Taoiseach – your law-breaking is causing permanent damage to children with disabilities.
"You and your Cabinet need to wake up and show some initiative and urgency. Children are suffering permanent damage at your hands and your conduct needs to be called out.
"We are an international embarrassment in how we treat children with autism and intellectual disabilities."
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