Tipperary teen to attend meeting tomorrow with HSE CEO Bernard Gloster

Tipperary teenager and disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody (14) has released a statement ahead of her important meeting with the CEO of the HSE, Bernard Gloster. 

Cara's statement can be read below:

A chara,

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My name is Cara Darmody, the 14-year old disability rights campaigner that performed a 50 hour protest last month outside the front of Leinster House, to protest about the Assessments of Needs (AON) crisis that has over 15,000 children waiting on AONs.

Since my protest, I have heard absolutely nothing from the Government about solutions to this national crisis, or as I call it, an international embarrassment.

So I've decided to take the initiative as I formally meet with HSE CEO Bernard Gloster tomorrow at 3pm in Limerick.

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I'll be bringing crucial information to that meeting that totally contradicts the myth that capacity has been reached in the system in relation to the number of psychologists available to assess autistic children.

I will bring to his desk the case of a Tipperary based private psychologist that performs assessments for the HSE, but who's hands have been systematically tied by the HSE because they refuse to properly sanction the other qualified psychologists in her practice. She claims that she could have eradicated the AON waiting list in Tipperary alone over the last 12 months by performing an additional 220 AONs if her company was given the opportunity. The HSE declined that offer, so that's a huge issue I will bring up with Mr. Gloster,

This psychologist also reports that she applied for a HSE Assessment tender last October, but only got confirmation a month ago that she had been accepted.

Why in the middle of a national crisis did it take 8 months? - I can tell you why, it's because the Taoiseach isn't treating it like it's a national crisis. And since then, she is chasing the HSE to get the names of those she needs to assess (as the reports will be needed for school places in September), but no urgency is being shown in reply by the HSE, and no names have been made available to the psychologist.

If this Tipperary example is reflective of how local HSE managements deal with the AON issue, then that's a massive cause of the growing AON numbers which will reach 25,000 by Christmas.

I am also in possession of other information that totally contradicts the Taoiseach's recent statement to me that there are no psychologists available on a national basis. I will put that information to Mr. Gloster for him to consider immediately acting on it.

There can no longer be any hiding from the fact that the Government, through the HSE, is breaking the AON law, period. By not assessing autistic children within 6 months in 93% of cases means that the Disability Act law is being systematically broken, and this has been going on for almost a decade.

It is not acceptable in my book – how can the Cabinet expect teenagers like me to obey the laws of our land, when they are the ones that break a law openly and with impunity.

I say that it is a national disgrace and an international embarrassment in how we treat children in Ireland with Autism or Intellectual Disabilities.

The initial motivation for my advocacy was because I have two brothers Neil (12) and John (8) who have autism and severe/profound intellectual disabilities.

They were both failed dramatically by the State in relation to the Assessments & Services that they received. I cannot help them now, but I can help the thousands that are left to rot on HSE waiting lists.

15,296 children are now sitting rotting on HSE AON waiting lists, up over 1,000 in just a month. Shockingly, the recent HSE PQ response states that their own prediction is that 24,796 will be waiting for an AON by the end of 2025!! Imagine what their projection would be for the end of 2026!!

I am describing this as an absolute car crash that is happening in slow motion. I have been calling for dramatic & drastic emergency action to be taken for two years, but that request has fallen on deaf ears.

I want my meeting with the HSE CEO to be a turning point in this national crisis.

Cara