“A Disgrace”: Parents Slam HSE Over Crisis In Child Therapy Services, With Some Waiting Six Years

A vast majority of the respondents surveyed were based in Kildare.

A new survey has exposed significant delays in accessing essential Health Service Executive (HSE) services across Ireland.

The survey, conducted among 236 current clients and those on Sensational Kids’ waiting list, revealed that 87.3% of respondents are currently waiting for HSE services.

A vast majority of the respondents surveyed were based in Kildare.

Families reported delays of two years or more for critical supports, including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychological services.

The results show that 73.73% of respondents are waiting for occupational therapy, 50.85% for speech and language therapy, and 49.15% for psychological services.

Almost 30% of families reported waiting for more than two years, while 13% have been waiting for over three years.

Regional disparities in access to services were also highlighted.

Families in counties such as Kildare, Cork, Mayo, and Monaghan reported particularly lengthy waits, with some waiting up to six years for a diagnosis.

Over seven pages of comments provided as part of the survey, seen by Kfm, detail the frustration of parents.

One parent who took part said her son has been on a waiting list since he was three-years-old.

"During COVID, there was no help at all, so we educated ourselves on how to help him. He is now 8", the parent said.

Another parent said: "Two of my four children are on waiting lists. One for speech therapy after we went private to get her Dyslexia assessment completed. Other child is waiting over 2 years for an assessment of need appointment as recommended by his then Junior infant teacher."

"The wait is painful. My daughter needs help and we are struggling financially having to source help privately," another parent said.

While another commented: "The waiting lists in Kildare are an absolute disgrace for speech therapy. I have wrote to TDs who have raised it but have been told the same thing regarding lack of staff. The system is completely failing."

Sensational Kids is developing the new National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town which will cater for 300 children weekly once complete.

However, the organisation announced this week that it has been forced to stop the construction work leaving a half-built site in Kildare town.

The organisation is calling on the Government, specifically the Department of Justice which manages funding by the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP), to release promised funds as a matter of urgency.

Sensational Kids were told by the IIP on 16th October that the IIP will not release the remaining 50% of €9.6 million funding previously committed to the project.

The reason given for this decision is a shortfall of an additional €4 million needed for the fit out of the facility currently under construction.

The IIP states that it will not release funding until it has evidence of the €4 million needed to complete the fit out of the project.

Sensational Kids has been in discussions with officials in relation to bridging this €4 million shortfall for a number of months.

Speaking on Kildare Today, Karen Leigh, founder and CEO, Sensational Kids said children are outgrowing vital services that they need.