A young Tipperary girls efforts to highlight the lack of Autism services has reached the Taoiseach’s office.
11 year old Cara Darmody has two non-verbal Autistic brothers – 9 year old Neil and 5 year old John – who attend Scoil Chormaic Special School in Cashel.
She first came to prominence when she decided to sit the Junior Certificate math’s exam this year to raise awareness for her campaign.
Speaking to Fran Curry on Tipp Today earlier Cara outlined what she said to Micheál Martin during their 80 minute meeting.
“I told him that autistic children are being treated absolutely disgracefully and that we need to be heard on this and that they’re being treated like 3rd class citizens. Well no actually I’m wrong there – you could actually say 10th class citizens – that’s how bad they’re being treated.
“They can’t talk for themselves – the politicians and the HSE they’re not doing anything about it – these kids can’t fight for themselves so people like me and my Dad, we have to fight for them.
“He basically accepted that this was a crisis – that’s the main thing – that he accepted that this was an absolute emergency and that this needed to be treated very seriously.”
Cara has also thrown down the gauntlet to opposition parties to take up the campaign to improve Autism services in Ireland.
She says if the coalition doesn’t address the issue she will go elsewhere.
“Could we talk to the opposition leaders about it and see if our people vote you into government what will you do about this problem and will you fix the problem unlike the current government?
“Because its not the party that matters – what matters is are they going to do anything.”
