Tipperary teenager Cara Darmody is to host a Monster Rally at Leinster House today beginning at 11am.
The one hour event is part of broader camping to improve services for people with disabilities and their families. Ms Darmody has previously met with several Ministers and TDs and with the Taoiseach Simon Harris on multiple occasions.
Today she is calling on the Government to apologise for the treatment of children with disabilities in Ireland.
Ms Darmody’s two younger brothers are autistic and need round the clock care. Such Children need an Assessment of needs to identify beneficial therapies and the HSE is failing to meet the statutory timeline to provide such assessments and therapies.
Ms Darmody was successful in securing a financial allocation of €7M to cover the costs of assessments to help clear the backlog but wants the HSE to ensure that all children can have the assessment as soon as required so that appropriate therapies can be identified.
Ms Darmody is to meet with senior officials from the HSE today following the Monster Meeting to discuss why the HSE paid for private assessments for her two brothers but have not provided a similar service to other families waiting on assessments.
Ms Darmody, from Ardfinnan, will be accompanied by her father Mark.
