HSE Urged To Bridge €4M Gap To Save Half-Built Kildare Child Development Centre

Over 2,000 children are already on Sensational Kids’ waiting list in Kildare alone.

A vital lifeline for children with additional needs is at risk as the planned National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town has been forced to halt construction.

Sensational Kids, the charity behind the project, cites a freeze on €4.8 million in promised funding as the cause of the standstill, leaving families of thousands of children in limbo.

The 17,000-square-foot facility was poised to transform therapeutic support for children with autism, ADHD, dyslexia, Down syndrome, and other developmental challenges.

Once operational, the centre aimed to deliver 13,000 therapy sessions annually, including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, and psychological assessments.

Over 2,000 children are already on Sensational Kids’ waiting list in Kildare alone.

The centre’s €9.6 million funding was approved under the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) managed by the Department of Justice.

The Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) is a pathway for non-EEA nationals to secure immigration permission to Ireland on the basis of long-term investment of a sum of money in a project that has been approved for that purpose by the Department of Justice and other Government stakeholders.

The programme is designed to encourage investors and business professionals from outside the European Economic Area to avail of opportunities of investing and locating their business interests in Ireland and acquire a secure residency status in Ireland.

Applicants to the IIP must be high net worth individuals with a personal wealth of at least €2 million.

The IIP requires applicants to invest a minimum of €1 million for a minimum of three years. The funds used for an investment must be from the applicant’s own resources and not financed through a loan or other such facility.

It is funds from this programme that are being held up.

Kfm  undertands that 12 donors are contributing, with some waiting for their donations to be processed between 18 and 27 months.

It was closed in February 2023, with the provision that previously approved projects would be unaffected.

It's closure has meant new investors could not be brought on board to provide additional funding.

Sensational Kids were told by the IIP on 16th October that it 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.

According to Karen Leigh, founder and CEO of Sensational Kids, the project was delayed due to a number of factors, including the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic, resulting in a €4m increase in projected building costs.

It is now hoped that the HSE can provide the €4m shortfall so the investor funds of €4.6m can be released.

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

Kfm understands that the talks have been "positive".

"We at Sensational Kids are doing everything possible to resolve this completely avoidable situation. We are ready and willing to talk to Government and IIP officials to secure the final 50% of the promised funding needed to get the project back on track as quickly as possible. This project simply must go ahead as we will not fail our children,"  Leigh said.

The delay also imposes a steep €200,000 cost to secure the construction site if work cannot continue.

The Department of Justice declined to comment on specific cases, citing its limited role in project administration under the IIP.

A statement noted that all applications undergo rigorous due diligence and referenced online resources for further details.

"The Department has no role in relation to the administration of a project, and does not hold any funds at any stage. This is a private matter between a potential investor and a potential project. All applications are subject to enhanced levels of due diligence processes in respect of both personal and financial checks to protect the State's interests," a spokesperson for the Department said.

Leigh said "everybody wants to make this project happen" but the decision to withhold funding has thrown everything "off track".

"We need action on this now," she said.

"This sudden refusal to release committed funding now puts the planned National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town at risk of not being finished, depriving thousands of children with additional needs throughout the country of receiving long awaited therapies and assessments," she said.