Offaly Man With Intellectual Disability Left Homeless After Losing Supports

Wednesday, 4 June 2025 16:41

Darren Larkin's brother Martin has been advocating for him and is critical of the local authority's handling of the case.

An Offaly man with an intellectual disability is currently sleeping in his car after losing crucial supports that allowed him to live independently.

Darren Larkin has been in care by court order since he was a baby.

At 18, he transitioned from a high-support unit for children to one for adults and at 19, he was living independently with supports from the HSE, Tusla, and Offaly County Council.

After losing supports for a period of time, Mr Larkin fell into homelessness and can't get the supports back until he finds accommodation.

The local authority has offered B and B vouchers but none of these have been accepted.

Darren's brother Martin is advocating for him from his home in London.

He says he's been shocked at how the council has handled the case:

You can listen to Martin's full interview with Midlands 103's David Hollywood here:

Martin says Offaly County Council cited rent arrears and property damage from a previous accommodation in their decision to formally refuse to accommodate Darren.

Darren's brother says he's offered to enter into a payment plan over the rent arrears and property damage, which he says came from a dog being kept in the home:

"Darren violated his PEA (Prevention of Eviction Agreement) by getting a dog, due to profound loneliness after transitioning from a high-support unit to a single-occupancy flat. The dog caused property damage, and Darren fell into arrears.

"This was not defiance - this was a case of unmet support needs. Forensic psychology reports and Darren's healthcare team have consistently stated he cannot manage money independently. During this time, he was also being financially exploited, directly impacting his ability to pay rent. He has acknowledged that getting the dog was a mistake and is fully willing to engage in a repayment plan. Both Tusla and the HSE have acknowledged Darren was not coping alone, and that the breakdown of support played a central role in the situation."

Midlands 103 has contacted Offaly County Council, Tusla, and the HSE about Darren's story.

All three acknowledged our inquiry, however just Tusla returned a statement:

"Tusla does not comment on individual cases in order to protect the privacy of children, families, and individuals we work with. When a person enters into a relationship with a public service such as Tusla, they are entitled to expect that information generated in that relationship is treated in confidence and remains private. This is critically important in the subject matters which Tusla is involved.

However, in general, where a person is engaged with any of our services, we do our utmost to provide the appropriate support based on their needs and circumstances. We will advocate on their behalf with other statutory and voluntary agencies who provide services which fall outside Tusla's responsibility, and which are appropriate to their circumstances. Our priority is always the safety and wellbeing of the people we work with, and we are committed to a collaborative, multi-agency approach to achieving the best possible outcomes we can for them."