Catherine Ardagh (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to mention today’s presentation by Cara Darmody in the audiovisual room, which was organised by my colleague, Senator Keogan. Cara has been here 13 times since January. She is a 12-year-old girl who sat her junior certificate last year in aid of her local school and the school of her young brothers who have severe autism and are non-verbal. She is now sitting the leaving certificate maths to raise money for AsIAm and Family Carers Ireland. It was important to listen to her voice as a sibling and also her father’s voice. Both their speeches were powerful. However, her mother’s voice was missing. Her mother was not able to be here today because she is caring for Cara’s two siblings at home.

The reason Cara came in today was not just to tell her side of the story but to advocate for carers across the country who are caring for people with disability and the elderly. She came in to raise awareness of the lack of assessment of needs and the huge waiting list we all know about, as well as the lack of accountability in the HSE. Ultimately, families are being left without services for children and teenagers. It is unfair. We are leaving one cohort of our society behind. In modern Ireland, where we have everything, there is no need for this.

I commend Senator Keogan again for arranging this talk. It is not the first time Cara has been in the Oireachtas and it will not be the last as I understand she will be presenting to the Joint Committee on Disability Matters. It is important that we keep this issue on the agenda because we are failing. Until we properly address this failure and the lack of services, nothing will be done.