Number of mildly disabled children waiting more than nine years for first assessment

Number of mildly disabled children waiting more than nine years for first assessment Mildly disabled children in Ireland are facing waiting times of nearly a decade for their first assessment for occupational therapy, according to recent data from the Health Service Executive (HSE). Over 30,000 children with mild to moderate disabilities are currently on waiting lists for primary care services, including occupational therapy, psychology, physiotherapy, and speech and language therapy. Among them, 17,000, nearly half, are waiting for more than a year for their first appointment. Some children in specific regions are waiting more than nine years for their initial evaluation. The waiting times vary significantly across different counties. In Meath, children face a wait of 508 weeks, equivalent to nine years and nine months, while in Dublin North, the wait is 473 weeks, or nine years and one month. Similarly, in Louth and Laois-Offaly, waiting times exceed eight years. These figures highlight a severe backlog in essential therapeutic services for children with mild to moderate disabilities. Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide highlighted the persistent nature of these waiting times during a parliamentary question to Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill. He noted that although waiting numbers had slightly decreased compared to previous years, the duration of the longest waits remained alarming. For instance, in Dublin North, the longest wait for a first psychologist appointment is 536 weeks, or 10 years and four months. In Dublin North West, the wait is 514 weeks, almost 10 years. Other regions within Dublin, including Dublin South City, Dublin South West, and Dublin West, also report waits exceeding eight years. Across the country, the situation is equally dire. In Cork, Limerick, and other areas, waits range from four to six years. According to the latest data, 32,038 children are waiting for psychological treatment as of June. Almost 10,500 children are awaiting their first physiotherapy appointment, with 2,861 of them waiting more than a year. Four regions, Laois-Offaly, Meath, Waterford, and Louth, report children waiting for more than six years for their first physiotherapy session. Speech and language therapy assessments are also experiencing delays. At the end of June, 21,784 children were waiting for an initial assessment. Of these, 8,109 had been waiting over 12 months, and 1,647 had waited more than two years. The longest wait for speech and language therapy was recorded in South Tipperary, with a wait of 244 weeks, or four years and eight months. Quaide expressed concern over the entrenched and extreme nature of these waiting times, suggesting that in some cases, the services may effectively be non-existent for affected children. He criticized the government for refusing to set clear population-based staffing targets, calling it “indefensible.” He emphasized that chronic under-resourcing and recruitment constraints have led to serious consequences for children and their families, allowing developmental issues to escalate rather than being addressed early. In response to the parliamentary inquiry, the HSE stated its commitment to providing efficient and high-quality services to all eligible individuals. It cited that in 2025, over 1.3 million patients were treated through HSE primary care services and reiterated its dedication to reducing waiting times. However, the ongoing challenges underscore the urgent need for systemic improvements in resource allocation and staffing to ensure timely access to critical therapeutic support for children with mild to moderate disabilities.