More than 21,700 children overdue for disability assessments

Michael Bolton

Nearly 22,000 children are overdue for disability assessments, according to new HSE figures.

In the first three months of this year, 21,782 were overdue for an Assessment of Need (AoN), up from 20,209 at the end of 2025.

Of those waiting, 18,933 have been overdue for over three months, representing 87 per cent of the waiting list. A further 1,120 children are overdue due to exceptional circumstances.

The Assessment of Need process, provided for under the Disability Act 2005, is used to establish whether a child has a disability and what supports they require.

The HSE received 3,814 completed applications in the first three months of 2026, with 1,112 coming from HSE Dublin and Midlands.

The number of assessment reports completed in the first three months of 2026 was 1,528, with only 10 per cent completed within the timeline set out in the legislation.

The average duration of the assessment process per report completed was 23 months.

Of the 10,037 children deemed to have a disability this year, 69 per cent require Occupational Therapy services, 60 per cent need psychology services, and 49 per cent require Speech and Language Therapy.

Some 2,242 children started Stage 2 of the process, with 31 per cent beginning within the three-month timeline.

The highest number of overdue assessments was in HSE Dublin and Midlands, where 7,772 children are waiting.

Within this region, in Kildare-West Wicklow 2,287 children are overdue for assessments.

In the Dublin and North East area, 6,608 children are overdue for assessment. This area provides care for children in North Dublin, Louth, Meath, Monaghan and most areas of Cavan.

North Dublin has 1,973 children overdue for assessment, with 1,746 waiting over three months.

In Meath, 1,324 children are overdue for assessment, while there are 1,176 children on waiting lists in Louth.

At HSE Dublin and South East, 3,204 children are overdue for assessments, with 2,717 waiting over three months.

HSE South West has 2,004 children overdue for assessment.

HSE West and North West have 1,599 children overdue for assessment.