Social Democrats leader Holly Cairns has paid tribute to young disability campaigner Cara Darmody ahead of a cross-party Opposition motion on Assessments of Needs (AONs), which will be debated in the Dáil this evening.
Deputy Cairns said:
“Through her tireless advocacy on behalf of her two younger brothers, Cara has helped keep the spotlight on the government’s failure to meet its obligations under the Disability Act 2005. As Cara has repeatedly highlighted, this legislation explicitly states that children should not have to wait more than six months for an assessment.
“However, under Fianna Fail and Fine Gael, waiting lists have continued to spiral out of control, with more than 18,000 children’s appointments now overdue. This is not just a case of staggering inefficiency within our disability services – it is a case of the government actively breaking the law.
“In the first three quarters of this year, just 4,534 assessments were conducted – not nearly enough to make a dent in the scandalous waiting lists for AONs.
“Unless we see an emergency response from the government, these children and their families will continue to be failed by a broken system, unable to access the supports they so desperately need.
“This is one of the reasons why the Social Democrats have repeatedly called for the appointment of a senior Minister for Disability. This would allow for a laser focus on the many deficiencies in disability services which are resulting in some of our most vulnerable children falling through the cracks.
“Denying these children the right to timely assessments is delaying them access to the early intervention therapies and services they are legally entitled to.
“Today’s motion is aimed at putting pressure on the government to set a specific target date for the State to comply with its legal obligations under the Disability Act 2005. It calls for an urgent workforce plan to recruit, train and retain enough staff to finally deliver a service that will not be in breach of children’s rights.
“While this is a joint Opposition motion, it should be something that every party in the Dáil can agree on.”
December 9th, 2025