Labour demands urgent action as Tipp girl protests in Dublin
14-year-old Cara Darmody from Ardfinnan is one the country's best-known disability advocates
In response to a parliamentary question to Deputy Alan Kelly, the HSE has warned over 15,000 children are waiting over six month months for assessment and the waiting list is anticipated to hit 25,000 by this year’s end.
Labour’s Tipperary TD, Alan Kellyhas slammed the Government for presiding over what he describes as an illegal and deeply damaging backlog in assessments of need for children with disabilities, after it was revealed that over 15,000 children are now waiting longer than six months for an assessment — with that number expected to grow to 25,000 by the end of this year.
The news breaks against the backdrop of a teenage campaigner from Tipperary began a 50-hour protest on Tuesday morning to put pressure on government to “stop breaking the law”, as the waiting list for assessments of need is projected to soar to almost 25,000.
An assessment of need (AON) is carried out to identify if a child or young person has a disability, and is designed to identify their health needs as well as service requirements.
Once the HSE receives an application, there is a legal requirement for the AON to be completed within six months. The total number of applications overdue for completion at the end of March stood at 15,296 – an 8pc rise on the end of last year.
14-year-old Cara Darmody from Ardfinnan has two brothers with autism and profound intellectual disabilities, and has led a campaign to compel the Government to improve access to services for people with disabilities.
To raise awareness about the issue the brave Tipperary teenager is sleeping outside in a designated area on the street near Leinster House for 50 hours, from 10am on Tuesday to 12pm on Thursday.
In response to a parliamentary question, the HSE has confirmed the delays despite being legally required under the Disability Act (2005) to complete assessments within six months.
'OUTRIGHT FAILURE'
Labour is calling on the Minister for Children and the Minister for Health to immediately explain how they intend to halt this spiralling crisis and uphold the rights of children.
Deputy Kelly said: “The Government is quite simply breaking the law. There is no ambiguity in the legislation — once the HSE receives an application for an Assessment of Need, it must complete it within six months. Yet over 15,000 children have already been waiting longer, and that number could hit 25,000 by the end of this year.
“This is an outright failure”, he said.
“Campaigner Cara Darmody, who begins her protest today, has shown enormous courage in her protest outside Leinster House, demanding that the Government stop breaking the law.
“Her message is one of fairness and justice — she is standing up for thousands of children across the country who are being let down. I want to pay tribute to her tireless campaigning.
“Early intervention is absolutely crucial for children with additional needs. The longer these delays continue, the more harm is done. We’re not just talking about missed appointments — we’re talking about children losing the chance to thrive, families being left in the dark, and a State that is knowingly breaching its own obligations.
“The truth is that this crisis is one of the Government’s own making. Under years of Fine Gael and Fianna Fáil, we’ve become a country of waiting lists — whether it’s housing, healthcare, mental health or disability supports. No child should be left behind, yet the State continues to abandon those who need its help most.
“Labour is calling on the Minister to come before the Dáil and outline how she will tackle this escalating crisis in children’s disability services and bring the State back into line with its legal responsibilities. The delays must be tackled urgently. Children can’t wait,” Deputy Kelly said.