Disability Services

Tuesday, 26 May 2026

Questions (1034, 1035, 1036, 1038, 1039)

Pa Daly

Question:

1034. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of children on waiting lists for an assessment of need, by area, in each of the years 2020 to date, broken down by quarterly intervals; the number overdue for completion; the number completed with a service statement, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40094/26]

View answer

Pa Daly

Question:

1035. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the number of assessments of need completed, by each children's disability network team, by area, in each of the years 2020 to date broken down by quarterly intervals, in tabular form. [40095/26]

View answer

Pa Daly

Question:

1036. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the average waiting times for assessments of need completed, by each children's disability network team, by area, in each of the years 2020 to date broken down by quarterly intervals, in tabular form. [40096/26]

View answer

Pa Daly

Question:

1038. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the length of time, by monthly intervals for the completion of an assessment of need, by each children's disability network team, by area, in each of the years 2020 date broken down in quarterly intervals, in tabular form.; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [40100/26]

View answer

Pa Daly

Question:

1039. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Children, Disability and Equality the proportion of those waiting longer than the statutory maximum for an assessment of need, by area and the length of time waiting, in each of the years 2020 date broken down in quarterly intervals, in tabular form. [40101/26]

View answer

Written answers

Minister for Children, Disability and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1034 to 1036, inclusive, 1038 and 1039 together.

The delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system is a priority for the Government.

There has been intensive work by the Department and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need to children and their families.

Children do not require an Assessment of Need to access health services, including Primary Care, Children’s Disability Network Teams or Mental Health Services, or education supports.

However, demand for Assessments of Need has increased significantly in recent years, reflecting both the increase in population and the number of families exploring all options to access services for their child. The impact of this increased demand has contributed to there being over 21,000 applications overdue for completion at the end of Q1 2026.

It is important to note that Children’s Disability Network Teams (CDNTs) and the Assessment of Need process operate independently of one another. The HSE is responsible for the delivery of the Assessment of Need process, with HSE Assessment Officers arranging and producing Assessment of Need reports for children and their families.

An Assessment of Need report is not required to access CDNT supports. Children’s Disability Network Teams provide supports and services to children and young people with complex needs, some of whom may have been, or are involved in, the Assessment of Need process. However, many children who receive services from CDNTs do not have or need an AON report.

While CDNT clinicians may be involved in undertaking clinical assessments as part of the Assessment of Need process, multidisciplinary assessments may also be requested from services such as Primary Care, Mental Health Services or a pre-approved private provider.

The Deputy has requested large amounts of data broken down by area. Due to the constraints of the ePQ system which does not support multiple large tables, this data can be sent directly to the Deputy. The most recent data for Q1 2026 is provided in Tables 1 and 2 below. The HSE does not provide a breakdown of the number of children awaiting an Assessment of Need report by CDNT. Data is available by Regional Health Area and Local Health Office.

The HSE reports that in the first three months of this year, the national average time needed to complete the assessment process was 23.81 months. As this is a national figure, there will be regional variations with some AONs being delivered within a shorter timeframe.

There has been intensive work by the Department of Children, Disability and Equality and the HSE to address delays in the provision of Assessments of Need. This is evident in the continued improvement in the number of completed Assessment of Need reports with 5,939 reports completed nationally in 2025. This is a 43% increase compared to the number completed in 2024. The HSE reports that 1,528 Assessment of Need reports were completed in the first 3 months of this year compared to 1,402 in Q1 2025. This improvement is welcome and must continue.

In December 2025 Government announced a series of improvements to the Assessment of Need process which will make the process more effective and efficient for children and families. Over time, this should lead to a reduction in the waiting time to receive an assessment. This reform includes legislative reform and operational improvements to support the efficiency and effectiveness of the Assessment of Need process.

The proposed legislative changes will not remove any rights for parents to apply for an Assessment of Need for their child. They also will not alter the statutory six-month timeline set out in the Disability Act.

The General Scheme of the Disability (Amendment) Bill has been published on the Department’s website. An [FAQ document] has also been published, providing information on Assessment of Need and the proposed changes for parents and any other interested stakeholders.

It is important to recognise that legislation is only a part of the response. The Department is working with the HSE to identify further opportunities to enhance processes, improve training, and increase administrative supports for HSE Assessment Officers who are responsible for the production of assessment reports. This includes the establishment of working groups to address learning and development needs and to develop statutory guidelines.

The HSE is also implementing actions to address the wider issue of access to services and supports for children with disabilities including:

• Introduction of a Single Point of Access system by the HSE in 2026. This should make it easier for families to be referred to the right service, whether that is primary care, CDNT or mental health services. It aims to streamline referrals and reduce duplication, so children do not end up on multiple waiting lists.

• Implementation of the Autism Assessment and Intervention Pathways Protocol by the HSE in 2026. The Protocol will provide a standardised assessment process across primary care, mental health and disability services. It will be the preferred assessment route for autism.

• The creation of eleven new HSE teams, initially, to support assessment processes, including AON, providing clinical guidance and administrative supports.

The delivery of an effective, efficient Assessment of Need system continues to be a priority for the Government.

Table 1. Assessment of Need reports overdue for completion, Q1 2026

Assessment of Need reports overdue for completion, Q1 2026

RHA/LHO	Total overdue end of Quarter	Overdue <1 month	Overdue 1-3 months	Overdue >3 months
HSE Dublin & North East	6608	295	498	5815
Cavan/Monaghan	578	21	46	511
Louth	1176	44	91	1041
Meath	1324	73	97	1154
North Dublin	1973	90	137	1746
Dublin North Centre	450	21	40	389
North West Dublin	1107	46	87	974
HSE Dublin & Midlands	7772	226	603	6943
Dublin South City	687	15	56	616
Dublin South West	2003	37	155	1811
Dublin West	1848	42	136	1670
Kildare/West Wicklow	2287	32	173	2082
Laois/Offaly	881	45	80	756
Longford/Westmeath	66	55	3	8
HSE Dublin & South East	3204	182	305	2717
Carlow/Kilkenny	153	15	34	104
Tipperary S.R.	86	12	25	49
Waterford	220	23	32	165
Wexford	287	29	32	226
Dublin South East	593	15	55	523
Dublin South	631	28	41	562
Wicklow	1234	60	86	1088
HSE South West	2004	176	220	1608
Kerry	110	12	14	84
Cork North	460	32	52	376
Cork North Lee	813	59	74	680
Cork South Lee	524	57	69	398
Cork West	97	16	11	70
HSE Mid West	595	25	35	535
Clare	109	8	7	94
Limerick	311	9	16	286
Tipperary N.R.	175	8	12	155
HSE West & North West	1599	94	190	1315
Donegal	393	19	28	346
Sligo/Leitrim	91	9	35	47
Galway	568	25	69	474
Mayo	422	34	45	343
Roscommon	125	7	13	105
TOTAL	21782	998	1851	18933

All assessment reports that were not completed within 6 months of application or within 3 months of Start Stage 2 and before the end of the quarter are included in this report

Table 2. Assessment of Need reports completed, Q1 2026

Assessment of Need reports completed, Q1 2026

RHA/LHO	No. of AON reports completed Q1 2026
HSE Dublin & North East	392
Cavan/Monaghan	12
Louth	1
Meath	17
North Dublin	212
Dublin North Centre	42
North West Dublin	108
HSE Dublin & Midlands	336
Dublin South City	20
Dublin South West	77
Dublin West	59
Kildare/West Wicklow	41
Laois/Offaly	68
Longford/Westmeath	71
HSE Dublin & South East	412
Carlow/Kilkenny	42
Tipperary S.R.	26
Waterford	51
Wexford	67
Dublin South East	47
Dublin South	56
Wicklow	123
HSE South West	284
Kerry	26
Cork North	54
Cork North Lee	118
Cork South Lee	68
Cork West	18
HSE Mid West	16
Clare	5
Limerick	8
Tipperary N.R.	3
HSE West & North West	88
Donegal	23
Sligo/Leitrim	42
Galway	4
Mayo	11
Roscommon	8
TOTAL	1528

Question No. 1035 answered with Question No. 1034.

Question No. 1036 answered with Question No. 1034.