Dublin, — Disability rights activist Cara Darmody has launched a 50-hour sleep-out protest outside Leinster House in a renewed effort to draw national attention to what she describes as the ongoing “assessment of needs crisis.” The 15-year-old from Ardfinnan, Co Tipperary began her demonstration at 11am today and is expected to meet opposition party leaders during the protest.
Cara says her action is aimed at “calling out the blatant assessment of needs law-breaking by the Government,” arguing that statutory deadlines are routinely missed. Under current legislation, autistic children are meant to receive an Assessment of Need within six months — a deadline she claims is breached in 93% of cases.
She added that the number of overdue assessments has risen sharply, increasing from 15,000 to more than 18,000 since her previous protest last May. “The keys to the disability world are therapists — without them, the car doesn’t drive,” she said. “So, I’m now back to protest on this dirty street again and will be here for 50 hours.”
Storm Bram Adds to the Challenge
The protest comes as Met Éireann issues an orange wind warning nationwide due to Storm Bram, with conditions in Dublin expected to remain severe until 9pm tonight. Cara said the storm would make the sleep-out especially difficult but reflected the wider struggle families face.
“With Storm Bram now blowing, I will really suffer out here over the next 50 hours. But I see it as a symbol of the pain and suffering that families go through when services, assessments and therapies aren’t given to their children in a timely manner,” she said.
Cara’s latest demonstration follows a series of high-profile protests she has staged over the past year, each demanding improved access to assessments, therapies and disability supports for children across Ireland.
