Figures show close to 1,300 Cork children are overdue disabilities assessments

Almost 1,300 children in Cork were overdue assessments of needs (AONs) for disabilities at the end of the second quarter of this year, with most waiting more than nine months.

At the end of June, 1,292 children were overdue AONs in Cork, with 953 waiting over three months beyond the initial six-month assessment period. These figures show increases on those recorded in Cork at the end of March, when 1,206 children were overdue assessments, with 925 waiting more than nine months.

AONs are carried out to identify whether a person has a disability, the nature and extent of the disability, health and education needs arising from that disability, and what services are required to meet those needs.

Under the Disability Act 2005, an assessment report must be completed within six months of the date an application was received.

Mandated

Figures released by the HSE to Eoghan Kenny, Labour Party TD for Cork North Central, show that nationally, the average waiting time for an AON at the end of June was 24.93 months, or more than 18 months over the six-month period mandated by the Disability Act.

According to figures released to The Echo last month by Sinn Féin, only 32 AONs have been completed within the six-month legal timeframe in Cork so far this year.

In the first half of 2025, some 488 AONs were carried out in Cork, but only 32, or 6.5%, were carried out within six months.

A HSE spokesperson said it had “struggled to achieve compliance” with its legislative obligations under the Disability Act.

Reacting to the figures released to Mr Kenny, Labour Party senator Laura Harmon said people with disabilities were being failed by the Government.

“The increase in waiting times for [AONs] signals a Government that is ignoring the plight of children and their families.”

Failing

Government was failing to properly staff and equip the HSE to meet demand, she said.

“A child without the right diagnosis or assessment is left without proper classroom support. That means falling behind in school, struggling in unsuitable classrooms, and missing out on key years of their education.

“The damage doesn’t end there — these setbacks have knock-on effects on a child’s confidence, their development, and their ability to succeed in later life.”

A HSE spokesperson said the region had recently received a “surge” in applications, with 1,568 received in 2024 (a 63% increase on the 2023 total of 961), and 1,066 in the first six months of 2025, more than the whole of 2023.

“We sincerely regret these delays, and are collaborating with private providers to deliver additional clinical assessments and to speed up the process,” they said.