Ardfinnan family met with Tánaiste yesterday to discuss autism services

cara Darmody in the Dail - Josepha Madigan on twitter

An Ardfinnan family met with 45 TDs and Senators yesterday to discuss autism services.

This came about after 11 year old Cara Darmody decided to take on the junior cert maths paper on the 10th of June to fundraiser for autism services at Ardfinnan National School and Scoil Chormaic Special School.

Her father Mark Darmody said they met with the Tánaiste and also Minister for Special Education Josephina Madigan in Dublin and they are confident that there will now be action to address the inadequate services nationally.

He said they showed them private videos of life in their home and it’s clear no one is doubting the need for these services.

However, Mark was clear that there needs to be co-operation between the Government and HSE:

“There was an acceptance that there is a lack of transparency in the HSE, Leo Varadkar said himself there is a lack of transparency and that has to change.”

” A simple question – no one knows what the productivity level is we’ll say here in the child disability services building… in Clonmel. How many clients does a speech and language therapist see or a psychologist see?”