WATCH: Clonmel councillor joins autism campaigner Cara Darmody at Leinster house

Tipperary schoolgirl Cara Darmody continues her protest outside Leinster House today, where she is campaigning for better autism services and assessments nationwide.

The 13-year-old from Ardfinnan was joined at the gates to Leinster House by Clonmel's Cllr Michael Murphy this morning where the two kicked a football back and forth.

Cara, who has two brothers with severe autism, plans to be outside of Leinster House protesting every week until the general election.

She has been a staunch advocate for improved services for years, and says that she wants the State to pay for private assessments for children waiting more than three months to be assessed by the HSE. She also wants the provision of services after an assessment is conducted to be speeded up.

In a petition to the Oireachtas Committee on Public Petitions last year, she also called for more State funding for autistic services and for a full review of the means-tested weekly carers' allowance.

Tara met Taoiseach, Simon Harris in his office for one hour last month along with Minister for Special Education Hildegarde Naughton and the Chairperson of the Oireachtas Committee on Autism Micheál Carrigy.

When they met, the Taoiseach told her that the recent allocation by the Government of €7 million in funding for Assessments of Needs was entirely due to her advocacy, campaigns and the specific Dáil motion brought in Cara’s name a year ago. 

The 13-year-old previously met Leo Varadkar and Micheál Martin when they were taoiseach to discuss changes to autism services.