Autism campaigner, 12, aims to be first to sit State exam in Leinster House

Cara Darmody and her brother John at their home in Ardfinnan, near Cahir, Co Tipperary. Picture: Neil Michael

A sixth-class school girl has applied to sit Leaving Cert maths in Leinster House.

Cara Darmody has applied via her local senator to be able to take the exams there.

The 12-year-old is bidding to be the youngest person in Ireland to sit a Leaving Cert exam, having already become the youngest to sit Junior Cert maths.

She sat those exams last year and her A1 (97%) pass result was read out live on last November’s Late Late Show when she was a guest in the audience.

She sat those exams and is sitting Leaving Cert maths in June to help raise awareness and funding for better autism services locally and nationally.

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As the Irish Examiner reported last week, she is also to mount an unprecedented lobbying campaign from inside Leinster House as part of that bid to get better services.

Every Wednesday from January 18, she will sit with her father Mark in areas where TDs congregate and ask them to support a petition, she has submitted to the Oireachtas for better autism services.

The move is similar to one adopted by Greta Thunberg who, in August 2018 at the age 15, started calling for climate change action outside the Swedish Parliament every Friday.

If her application to sit Leaving Cert maths in Leinster House is successful, she will be the first person to sit such an exam there.

Every Wednesday from January 18, she will sit with her father Mark in areas where TDs congregate and ask them to support a petition, she has submitted to the Oireachtas for better autism services. Picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos

Tipperary senator, Garret Ahearn applied to the Oireachtas for her to do that last week.

Cara is also trying to get permission to sit Leaving Cert maths.

She also needs a special exemption as, by law, she has to be aged 16 or over to be given an official exam registration number from the State Examinations Commission.

Proud father Mark said: “She did around 400 school hours extra study to sit her Junior Cert maths.

“That was on top of the study she did for her other subjects at school.

She has now already clocked up an extra 200 school hours to study for Leaving Cert maths.

“Cara thought that because of the fact that she is going to be in Leinster House so much over the coming months, it would make sense to do the Leaving Cert exams there as well.

“The house does host events and we think such is the symbolic nature of what she is doing, and the historical context, that they would class her sitting the exam in Leinster House as an event.

“When you think about it, she is bringing a positivity to the whole concept of education in general and to maths in particular.” 

Mark Darmody said: 'Cara thought that because of the fact that she is going to be in Leinster House so much over the coming months, it would make sense to do the Leaving Cert exams there as well.'

As well as working extra hours in her own time to be able to sit the exam in June, she is also going to be paying her way to Leinster House every Wednesday.

She will be using her €10-a-week pocket money and money from her savings to pay for her rail fares to and from Leinster House.

At certain points throughout every Wednesday, she will stand near where TDs are passing and approach them and lobby them about her campaign.

She will then spend her lunch break from 1pm in the Dail chamber in the public gallery, watching leaders' questions.