‘Appalling’ waiting lists for Sligo children to access critical services
The Sligo Champion“Simply appalling” was the reaction of Labour’s Senator Nessa Cosgrove and Cllr Ann Higgins after reviewing the recent data published by the HSE on waiting lists for children to access three critical developmental services.
The data showed an increase by more than a third in 2025 of children waiting for more than a year for three critical developmental services of psychology, occupational therapy and speech and language.
These figures support the recent comments made by Labour party Leader, Deputy Ivana Bacik who stated that, “Waiting lists are now the system, not the exception.”
Senator Cosgrove stated, “These figures lay bare the government’s failure to provide timely and essential services to our children when they need them the most. In terms of disability assistance, there were a total of 9,363 children waiting for an initial assessment at the end of December, with 6,035 children, waiting for more than one year. In a regional context, there were 504 children on waiting lists for an initial assessment in west and north-west area, with 119 children are waiting more than one year.
“For these supports to be effective, early intervention is key, yet this government is failing our children when it leaves so many to languish on waiting lists for just an initial assessment, never mind the provision of the tailored support they require. Every week matters in a child’s life, so to see so many children who are waiting for more than one year, in some cases multiple years, is simply not acceptable, in fact it is appalling.”
The local waiting lists for children primary care services in Sligo/Leitrim were cited as proof that long waits have become the norm and are embedded in the system:
· Occupational therapy 149 total, 31 more than one year
· Psychology 133 total, 61 more than one year
· Physiotherapy 262 total, 67 more than one year
· Speech and Language (further therapy) 224 total, 18 waiting more than one year
· Speech and Language (initial assessment) 400, no further breakdown provided
· Speech and Language (initial therapy) 63, no further breakdown provided.
· Audiology – 271 total, 78 more than one year
· Dietetics 187 total, 44 more than one year
· Ophthalmology 206 total, 16 more than one year
Cllr Higgins stressed the need to tackle these spiralling waiting lists, stating, “It is obvious that the system is overburdened, understaffed and failing our children when they need them to most. For a child to be expected to wait more than a year for any service that impacts their development is appalling. It is causing real harm to them and to their families who have to sit and wait for an appointment letter to arrive while watching their child struggle in the areas that most children take for granted.”
They both supported Labour’s call to introduce further support roles and assistant grades in psychology, speech and language, and occupational therapy specialities to support staff, therapists, and services. They also called for an increase in training places for these specialities to tackle the waiting lists.
Sen Cosgrove and Cllr Higgins stated, “These services are absolutely essential for the development and well being of our children yet them remain out of reach for too long for too many. Children need these supports now, they cannot wait for another year to go by.”
Senator Cosgrove and Cllr Higgins both called on this government to “Properly staff our health services, and deliver waiting list targets that are both credible and enforced. Our children deserve better and this government needs to start delivering real results and put the early into early intervention.”
Article Funded by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme.