Disabilities Assessments
Dail Éireann — 2026-01-21
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Robert O'Donoghue (LAB), Dublin Fingal West

I appreciate the measures being undertaken. This is not an issue to play politics with. To achieve a timeframe of ten months will be a huge bonus in CHO 9, given where we are now.
I have raised this issue previously, although not with the Minister of State. I feel compelled to raise it again, and I have permission from the parents to do so. A child in my constituency of Dublin Fingal West, Willow, who turned nine last November, has been waiting for speech and language therapy for two years, since she was seven, so ten months would be a big improvement. We know that children of Willow’s age are acutely aware of their differences in school, and the delay is severely affecting her confidence both in school and with her peers. Her parents now feel they have no choice but to consider private therapy. That is why I am asking if they will be taken off the waiting list if they choose to go for private therapy. They are trying to do their best for their child and the family.
I have been pursuing a resolution of this case for over ten months. I continue to be passed from health to disability services and back to health again, but I have failed to progress the matter. In Willow’s case, we have failed. We have failed children who continually wait for speech and language therapy. We need to address this issue now. I welcome the Minister of State's response and the measures being taken.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-01-21/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-31T01:00:51+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-01-21