Kildare children's assessment rates 'absolutely scandalous'

A KILDARE TD has described as “a national scandal” that zero per cent of children in Kildare are currently receiving an assessment of need within the legal timeframe of six months.

TD for Kildare South, Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh said “the government is not only failing these children and their families, but also breaking the law”.

“This is a damning indictment of a Government who have proven they are incapable of solving this crisis,” she said.

“Across the state, a shocking 16,593 children are on waiting lists.

“Year on year, the number of children languishing on waiting lists for supports they are entitled to continues soar, and this is absolutely scandalous.

“The government is not only failing these children and their families, it is breaking the law.

“There is a legal requirement under the Disability Act 2005 that these assessments must be carried out within six months, but instead, the government is meeting this metric only 12 per cent of the time.

“This means that nearly 90 per cent children waiting for an assessment of need are not having their rights met by this government.

“Shockingly, the average time for an assessment of need is now over two years.

“The crisis is widespread across the country.

“In 21 of 33 areas, less than 10 per cent of assessments are being completed on time.

“Worse still, there are 13 areas, including Kildare, where no assessments have taken place within the legal requirement.

“No child waiting for an assessment of need Kildare had their rights upheld in Q2 2025, and that is just not good enough.

“These figures reveal what Sinn Féin has repeatedly warned. Without a wholesale departure from the government’s flawed approach, the crisis is set to deepen.

“Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael have proven that they are incapable of solving this crisis.

“On the other hand, Sinn Féin have a plan and the determination to solve this crisis.

“In May, we laid out the clear and concrete steps this government must take if they are serious about tackling the waiting lists for assessments of need and complying with its legal and moral obligations.

“We called on them to take emergency action and make funding available to clear the backlog and to set a specific target date by which they aim to comply with their emergency obligations.

“We highlighted the urgent need for a workforce plan to train, recruit, and retain enough staff, adequate funding of special needs services and the provision of appropriate school places for children with special needs.

“Unfortunately, these calls fell on deaf ears and the situation continues to deteriorate.

“Sinn Féin will continue to stand up for children and their families until the government lives up to their responsibilities.”