Government ‘failing’ children with additional needs as waiting lists exceed 20,000, says Tipperary TD
The Government is “failing" children with additional needs in their delays in addressing waiting list times, according to a Tipperary TD.
Workers and Unemployed Action Group (WUAG) TD Seamus Healy told the Dáil that more than 20,000 children with additional needs are on waiting lists for assessments of need nationwide. Deputy Healy said this amounts to a breach of the law.
"The Government must stop failing children with additional needs. At the end of 2025, 20,209 children were on the waiting list for assessments of need,” he said.
"The majority have been waiting over two years and almost 95pc have been waiting longer than the legal six-month limit under the Disability Act 2005. The Government is breaking the law every hour of every day,” Deputy Healy added.
"The Government threatened the Army on peaceful protesters, but it breaks the law willy-nilly.”
The Tipperary TD was speaking during a Dáil session on special education, and called on the Government to address waiting list times for assessments of need, as well as for vital therapy services.
"The waiting lists for therapy are also horrendous. Well over 40,000 children are on various waiting lists for CDNTs, speech and language therapy, occupational therapy and psychology,” he pointed out.
"There is a chronic shortage of appropriate school places, some 170 classes short, representing hundreds of children,” he said.
Children were being forced to accept school places outside of their community just to get the support they needed, Deputy Healy said.
"In my experience, children are travelling up to 25 miles to school. A special school in my constituency had 38 applications for eight places, meaning 30 disappointed children and 30 very frustrated and distressed parents. We must do better,” he urged.
"The recent announcement of inclusive special classes is not the answer and is another display of arrogance by the Government. There was no consultation with parents, children, disability organisations, teachers or unions,” the WUAG TD hit out.
The new plans increase class sizes without any increase in special education teachers, special needs assistants (SNAs) or any other form of support, he added.
"It increases class sizes for children with additional needs without adequate or, indeed, any provision for additional special education teachers, SNAs or support and should be stopped.
"It must be subject to full consultation, consideration and evaluation by and with all stakeholders,” Deputy Healy added.
Responding, junior education Michael Moynihan said that the Government recognise the points made by Deputy Healy and others.
"I meet every week with parents, schools, patrons, advocacy groups and other education stakeholders to discuss special education, both what is working and where there is room for improvement,” Minister Moynihan said.
"The priority remains to ensure that the child-centred approach to the provision of special education is retained and enhanced in these policy developments. These policies will ensure special education into the future,” he added.
However, the Minister did not directly address the waiting list figures or claims of legal breaches.