Cara's fund: Government 'must clear backlog of assessments for children with disabilities'

Sinn Féin, Labour, Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland demand urgent funding to clear AON backlog to coincide with Cara Dermody's vigil

Tipperary-based campaigner Cara Darmody is set to hold a vigil outside the Dáil next week. Opposition parties say their new call for action from the Government is timed to coincide with her protest. File picture: Sam Boal/Collins

The Government must establish an emergency fund to clear the backlog of assessments of needs (AONs) for children with disabilities, a joint opposition motion has called for.

The leaders of Sinn Féin, Labour, the Social Democrats, People Before Profit, and Independent Ireland are all backing the joint motion, which is set to be debated in the Dáil on Tuesday.

The parties are bringing forward the motion to coincide with a protest by 14-year old disability campaigner, Cara Darmody, who is set to hold vigil outside the Dáil next week in a 50-hour protest.

“To coincide with it, the combined opposition have come together to bring forward a joint motion to demand that the government provide children with the assessments of need within six months as required by law,” a statement from the leaders reads.

“15,296 children are now overdue their assessment of need, left waiting for services and support.  

This is not good enough and we are going to fight until it is sorted.

The motion itself is calling for the Dáil to recognise that children are “legally entitled to an assessment of their health and education needs”, and this should take place within six months.

It also calls on the Government to take emergency action and to ensure funding is available for assessment of needs through “Cara’s Fund”, which could be used to clear the backlog.

Teenage Disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody speaking to supporters outside Leinster House last year. File picture: Sam Boal/Collins

Opposition parties are also calling for the Government to set a date by which they will comply with their legal obligation to provide assessment of needs, as well as to develop a sustainable plan to recruit and train more staff.

The motion also calls for more funds to be allocated towards special needs services, like speech and language, physio and occupational and behavioural therapies, as well as providing more school places for children with special needs.

Ms Darmody, who has two brothers with severe autism, is set to hold the protest from 10am on May 20. She will sleep outside the gates of Leinster House in a tent, set within a specially cordoned off area.

The joint motion between multiple opposition parties and groups is an unusual step, but there has been very close cooperation between the opposition following on from the aftermath of the Dáil speaking rights row.

It is likely that the Government will table its own countermotion, as is standard practice.