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Dublin Live
6 days ago
- Health
- Dublin Live
Dublin child waiting 13 years for psychological service, figures show
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A Dublin child has been on a waiting list for psychological care for 13 and a half years, according to new figures. The Social Democrats are calling on the Government to commit to a comprehensive recruitment drive to 'tackle the crisis in primary care services for young people'. Liam Quaide, the party's spokesman on mental health and disability, said HSE figures released to him through a parliamentary question reveal the 'abject state' of such services across the country. The figures, seen by the PA news agency, list the longest wait for psychology for a young person as 706 weeks in Dublin North-West, the equivalent of 13.5 years. In Galway, the longest wait is 500 weeks, or more than 9.5 years. The longest wait for occupational therapy is 502 weeks in Dublin North, while in Meath the figure is 452 weeks. The longest wait for physiotherapy is 369 weeks in North Lee, Cork. For speech and language therapy, the longest wait is 313 weeks in Dublin North-West. Mr Quaide also said the number of young people waiting for primary care psychology services in Cork/Kerry has risen from 5,000 to 6,500 in the past year. He was also critical of the initial approach taken by the HSE to provide data on children waiting more than one year, which obscured the extent of the delays experienced by some children. 'It's worth noting that I had considerable difficulty obtaining these figures from the HSE, who were originally only providing me with a category of '+52 weeks' for young people waiting anywhere between one and 13 years for an appointment. 'One of the main purposes of primary care is to intervene early, before difficulties become entrenched and the young person might need either the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or a Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT). Primary care services have been hamstrung by the HSE's current recruitment policy known as the 'Pay and Numbers Strategy', as well as the official recruitment embargo before that. ' The figures also show that 8,829 children have been waiting for more than two years for psychology services. Mr Quaide said postprimary care child and adolescent services around the country are 'now in deep crisis', with waiting lists 'out of control and staff morale on the floor'. He said: 'They have also been placed under immense pressure by the Progressing Disabilities model of service, which saw the re-direction of thousands of young people from CDNTs into primary care. At no stage has the HSE attempted to recruit sufficient staff in primary care services to address the additional level of need. 'This has left families languishing on one waiting list after another, passed around from service to service with little to no support.' The HSE has been contacted for comment. Join our Dublin Live breaking news service on WhatsApp. Click this link to receive your daily dose of Dublin Live content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice. For all the latest news from Dublin and surrounding areas visit our homepage.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Health
- Irish Daily Mirror
Dublin child waiting 13 years for psychological service, figures show
A child has been on a waiting list for psychological care for 13.5 years, according to new figures. The Social Democrats party is calling on the Government to commit to a comprehensive recruitment drive to "tackle the crisis in primary care services for young people". Liam Quaide, the party's spokesman on mental health and disability, said HSE figures released to him through a parliamentary question reveal the "abject state" of such services across the country. The figures, seen by the PA news agency, lists the longest wait for psychology for a young person as 706 weeks in Dublin North-West, the equivalent of 13.5 years. In Galway, the longest wait is 500 weeks, or more than 9.5 years. The longest wait for occupational therapy is 502 weeks in Dublin North, while in Meath the figure is 452 weeks. The longest wait for physiotherapy is 369 weeks in North Lee, Cork. For speech and language therapy, the longest wait is 313 weeks in Dublin North-West. Mr Quaide also said the number of young people waiting for primary care psychology services in Cork/Kerry has risen from 5,000 to 6,500 in the past year. He was also critical of the initial approach taken by the HSE to provide data on children waiting more than one year, which obscured the extent of the delays experienced by some children. "It's worth noting that I had considerable difficulty obtaining these figures from the HSE, who were originally only providing me with a category of '+52 weeks' for young people waiting anywhere between one and 13 years for an appointment. "One of the main purposes of primary care is to intervene early, before difficulties become entrenched and the young person might need either the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (CAMHS) or a Children's Disability Network Team (CDNT). "Primary care services have been hamstrung by the HSE's current recruitment policy known as the 'Pay and Numbers Strategy', as well as the official recruitment embargo before that." The figures also show that 8,829 children have been waiting for more than two years for psychology services. Mr Quaide said post-primary care child and adolescent services around the country are "now in deep crisis", with waiting lists "out of control and staff morale on the floor". He said: "They have also been placed under immense pressure by the Progressing Disabilities model of service, which saw the re-direction of thousands of young people from CDNTs into primary care. "At no stage has the HSE attempted to recruit sufficient staff in primary care services to address the additional level of need. "This has left families languishing on one waiting list after another, passed around from service to service with little to no support." The HSE has been contacted for comment.
Irish Examiner
18-06-2025
- Health
- Irish Examiner
Speech and language, occupational therapies to start in 45 special schools in September
The roll-out of a new education therapy service in special schools will begin with the introduction of up to 90 therapists to 45 schools this September, the minister for education has pledged. The detail is included in a new Education Plan for 2025, published by Helen McEntee and minister of state for special education Michael Moynihan, which outlines the Department of Education's intentions to progress several crucial policies across the education system. Access to most in-school therapies, such as speech and language therapy, and occupational therapy, was severely curtailed during 2020 when therapists were removed from schools. As highlighted previously by the Irish Examiner, parents and teaching staff at special schools warned children were missing out on their education without these essential supports. Overlapping with the closure of schools during the pandemic, the HSE's Progressing Disabilities Services model for children and young people saw services reconfigured and clinicians relocated from their special schools and onto Children's Disability Network Teams. These teams, which are managed by the HSE and voluntary disability organisations, face their own set of challenges, including significant staff vacancies and increasing referrals. Responsibility in this area is also split, with some overlap between departments, different agencies, and Government ministers, mainly the HSE, the Department of Disability and the Department of Education. With Government approval to establish a new Education Therapy Service secured, the National Council for Special Education (NCSE) is expected now to commence work on its rollout, with an aim to provide 90 therapists to work in 45 special schools in the next school year. The new posts will be initially for occupational therapists and speech and language therapists, and a further roll-out to other special schools is expected to be announced for the 2026/27 school year. While the new therapy service will commence initially in special schools, it is intended that it will roll out down the line in special classes and mainstream schools. The NCSE is expected to now commence recruitment, and the same terms and conditions will be applied for staff as HSE therapists. Other policies listed in the Education Plan 2025 include undertaking an initial review of the costs of insurance in schools and circumstances around them, as well as developing a teacher workforce plan and publishing a new Deis plan for disadvantaged schools. A new Deis model was rolled out in 2022 following an expansion of the scheme. The Education Plan 2025 also pledges to launch a national survey of all primary school parents, and pre-school parents, to determine preferences for school type. This includes questions on teaching through Irish and multi-denominational patronage, and is intended to inform school planning in the coming years. Ms McEntee said she was "eager" to advance the development of the Education Therapy Service. "This will be transformative for not just children receiving therapies in school, but for how it will support the wider school community too. "Ultimately, I believe, this will also ease the strain and stress that parents can feel in accessing therapy support." Read More Over 250 children may have no school place, but minister refuses to confirm numbers
