Cara Darmody's 50-Hour Fight for Ireland's Forgotten Children Living With Autism & Intellectual Disabilites - 13/07/2026

Fifteen-year-old disability rights campaigner Cara Darmody is preparing to spend 50 hours protesting outside the gates of Leinster House in a renewed effort to force action on the country's Assessment of Needs system. Beginning on Tuesday, Cara plans to sleep in a tent outside the Dáil for two nights, calling on the Government to introduce legally binding timelines to tackle growing delays.The protest comes as the latest figures show that more than 21,700 children are waiting beyond the statutory six-month deadline for an Assessment of Needs. Cara, whose campaigning previously helped secure the creation of "Cara's Fund" with more than €30 million in Government funding, says more urgent action is now needed.Cara Darmody joined us on The Agenda this morning to tell us why she's returning to Leinster House and what she hopes this latest protest will achieve. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.