2,500 Northside children waiting more than a year to see disability specialist

Dublin’s Northside has more children with disabilities waiting to see a specialist than anywhere else in the country.

Figures obtained by Social Democrats TD Cian O’Callaghan shows that 2,506 children have been waiting for more than a year to get an appointment with a disability specialist, the highest figure in Ireland.

Across the North of Dublin, 2873 children are on a waiting list to see a disability specialist.

O’Callaghan said that parents of children with disabilities regularly contact hun about their struggles to get an appointment with a disability specialist.

“Early intervention is key to ensuring these children get the best possible start in life; this makes the outrageously long waiting lists a nightmare for parents,” he said.

“It will come as no surprise to the families on Dublin’s Northside that the HSE area CHO9 has more children waiting to see a disability specialist than anywhere else in the country.”

He said the waiting list if “by far” the largest waiting list in Ireland.

He said that children waiting over a year for an initial appointment can have “serious consequences” for the development of a child with a disability

“This Government is failing these families and seems oblivious to the real-life consequences of their inaction. CHO9 needs an immediate funding boost so that enough staff can be recruited to clear this backlog.”

The figures across Dublin don’t paint a positive picture for Government or the HSE, with the Dublin West, Dublin South City and Dublin South West figures showing that 1820 children have been waiting for over a year to get an appointment, while 903 children in South Dublin waiting a year to be seen.