Clare Fine Gael TD Joe Cooney has described delays facing children awaiting an Assessment of Need in the county as unacceptable.
Figures provided to Deputy Cooney by the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth show that 109 applications in Clare were overdue for completion at the end of March, with 94 of those waiting more than three months.
Deputy Cooney said the figures highlight the urgent need to reduce waiting times for children and their families.
“Behind every one of these applications is a child and a family waiting for answers and, in many cases, waiting to understand what supports their child may need. These are 109 real children and 109 real families in Clare who are stuck in a system that everyone agrees needs to move faster.
I have spoken to parents across the county who are at the end of their tether trying to deal with this process, and I make no apology for keeping the pressure on at national level to see that number come down.
“Families should not have to wait months for an Assessment of Need. We need to see these waiting lists reduced and make sure children in Clare can access the assessment process within the timeframe provided for under the law.”
The Department said there were currently unacceptable delays in accessing Assessments of Need nationally and that addressing them was a government priority.
It said the HSE does not provide Assessment of Need data by county, but figures are available for Local Health Office areas. The latest figures for Clare are for the first quarter of 2026.
More than 5,900 Assessment of Need reports were completed nationally in 2025, an increase of 43% on the previous year and 85% compared with 2023.
The Department said several measures were being introduced to improve the process, including a Single Point of Access system, a new Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol and 11 new HSE teams to support assessment processes.
Deputy Cooney said the measures must result in a tangible reduction in waiting times.
“I welcome the steps being taken, but what matters most to families is that these national improvements translate into shorter waiting times here in County Clare,” he said.
“These are children and families who cannot afford to be left waiting indefinitely. I will continue to raise this issue to ensure the situation in Clare gets the attention it deserves.”