12-year-old who addressed Dáil on autism urges health officials to 'just do their job'
Leaving Addressing Photos Mittee After Picture: Darmody Autism Oireachtas Chaney/collins On Cara Leinster The House Gareth
The schoolgirl who met Taoiseach Micheál Martin in July to raise awareness about the lack of autism supports has urged health officials to “just do your job”.
In an impassioned speech to the Joint Committee on Autism, Cara Darmody told TDs: “I’m sick of adults who just talk.
“Why can’t you all do something about this and stop the damage being done to children with disabilities?”
Her appearance before the committee saw the 12-year-old enter the history books by becoming the youngest person ever to address a Dáil committee.
Cara, from Ardfinnan, Tipperary, was invited to give evidence to the committee following a face-to-face meeting with Taoiseach Micheál Martin in his office in July.
She has two brothers with autism — Neil, aged 10, and John, five.
Neil is severely autistic and hits himself with a clenched fist in the face on a daily basis.
Frustrated by what she sees as a lack of services, Cara has been raising awareness and funding for better services locally and nationally.
She told the committee that the shortage of autism services is “a crisis and a national disgrace”.
“My brothers Neil and John have been treated disgracefully and I am here to stand up for them.
Cara also told the committee how, aged 11 and in 5th class in Ardfinnan NS, she studied over 400 extra hours so that she could sit the Junior Cycle maths exam in June.
In doing so, she raised €40,000 for her local school and Scoil Chormaic Special School.
“Today, many children are benefitting from my fundraiser," she said.
"However, it is disgraceful that those schools are relying on a 12-year-old to fund their services."
“I want to be very clear: Nobody is treating this like the house is on fire.
“Everybody I meet is always so nice, but it always ends the same: they are all talk and no action.”
Next June, she plans to become the first 12-year-old in Ireland to attempt to sit a Leaving Certificate exam in maths.
She said that it will again raise funds for the same two schools but will also now include the national organisations of AsIAm and Family Carers Ireland.