Tipperary teen protests outside Taoiseach's department

Disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody, 13, continued her weekly protest at the Taoiseach's Department, a protest which began in the middle of June.

Tuesday, July 9, was her fourth consecutive Tuesday protesting, in an effort to make the Taoiseach act to stop the breaking of the Assessments of Needs law.

This law specifically states that autistic children must be assessed within 6 months of their application.

Unfortunately, it presently takes the HSE many years for this to occur.

The Government is 100% aware of this law being broken.

Cara said: "We are a nation of laws, and it is so wrong that the Government does not act with urgency when the law is being broken right in front of them. That must end right now. They must stop the breaking of this law."

What makes her protest today different from other days is that Cara unfortunately suffered an knee injury playing in a football challenge match last Sunday evening while playing for her club Ardfinnan LGFA, suffering a small fracture to her left knee.

Cara said: "It was an unbelievable game. We were actually 15 points down at half-time before we staged the greatest comeback of all-time to narrowly win in the end. Unfortunately for me, I went down heavily on my knee in the goal-mouth in the last minute and I knew straight away that I had done damage."

A scan subsequently showed a small fracture which rules Cara out of sport for the majority of the summer. She says "Look, it is disappointing but I have to get on with the rehabilitation now."

Despite spending all of Monday in hospital, Cara was already making plans for her Tuesday morning protest in Dublin, a day forecasted to have extremely heavy rain.

She said "I've already heard politicians say 'The first shower of rain and she'll be gone.' My Dad got several messages from various politicians on Monday to say they were "sorry" that I can't make it to my protest today, and what a "pity" it is that I can't get up there because of my injury and the impending rain. Well they're wrong, and I can tell you that it'll take a lot more than a fractured knee and heavy rain to put me off."

She also says "You see, in their world, they think that campaigners will quit when they hit the first hurdle or bad moment. What they don't get is parents or carers of disabled kids don't get to quit, take a day off, or feel sorry for themselves. Rain? A fractured knee? Those are minor little things compared to the pain and suffering that families go through by the HSE not complying with the Assessments of Needs laws, providing proper Services, or by providing appropriate school places."

"So I'm sending a very clear message to the Taoiseach and all politicians today - no amount of rain, cold, wind or a fractured knee is going to stop me campaigning for what is morally right, namely to have the AON law enforced."

"But I do have to say that there is something very badly wrong with the Country when a 13-year old, namely me, has to sit outside the Taoiseach's Department in the rain and with a fractured knee, for free, all because the politicians cannot do the highly-paid jobs that they are elected to. Maybe they should have a good think about that. I'll stay put here until they do."