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#Childrens Health

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p class="contextmenu internal_Caption">Parents' association chairwoman Sabrina O’Shea and one of her fellow parents, Sinead Perry, at the new sensory rooms that parents have funded at Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig, Cork. Picture: Jim Coughlan</p>

munster

Inclusive Cork school left waiting for autism classes — as parents fund new sensory space

Scoil Eoin in Ballincollig has yet to get funds for three autism spectrum disorder classes already sanctioned by the NCSE

<p>At its core, the case that will play out before a Los Angeles jury over the next six to eight weeks is about two things; whether Instagram and YouTube designed their platforms in a way that could cause children to become addicted to social media.</p>

spotlight

Marion McKeone: Judgement day for social media platforms

<p>An assessment of needs identifies health and educational needs arising for children who have a disability.</p>

news

More than 20,000 children overdue assessment of needs appointment

Over the shoulder view of a child using a smartphone in a home environment

news

Group suggests Tusla use tracking devices on phones of children at risk of trafficking

Parents frustrated after recall of 62 children for spinal care at CHI

news

Parents frustrated after recall of 62 children for spinal care at CHI

Hospital

comment-analysis

What have we learnt about spinal care at Children’s Health Ireland?

Minister to publish report into children’s mental health care in north Kerry within two weeks

Minister to publish report into children’s mental health care in north Kerry within two weeks

Minister of state Mary Butler will also visit Kerry in the next 10 days

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

HSE to follow up cases of 62 children who had spinal care after review at CHI

HSE to follow up cases of 62 children who had spinal care after review at CHI

'There is no immediate risk to patients,' HSE chief clinical officer Dr Henry said of the 62 cases

Wed, 11 Feb, 2026

Boy with smartphone indoors. Preteen boy using a phone checking social media. Concept of children using the smartphone

After 23 years of Safer Internet Days, are children any safer?

Governments say the era of self-regulation is over, but until we tackle the 'launch first, figure out the harm later' thinking, nothing will change, writes Alex Cooney of CyberSafeKids

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Young Girl In Bedroom Worried By Bullying Text Message

Half of children aged 8-12 at risk online with no parental restrictions, survey finds

CyberSafeKids says many children are exposed to the risk of engaging with strangers as it launches its 'Same Rules Apply' campaign

Tue, 10 Feb, 2026

Top view of medical documentation being filled by female doctor at doctor's office

IMO criticises surgeon data plan as medicine 'does not lend itself to direct league tables'

The chair of the IMO consultants committee, Matthew Sadlier, also warned it could lead to poorer outcomes for patients

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Israel Palestinians Gaza

Further seven Palestinian children arrive in Ireland for treatment following evacuation from Gaza

The youngsters will undergo medical assessments over the coming days with teams from Children's Health Ireland

Sun, 08 Feb, 2026

Unrecognizable occupational therapist with little male patient doing a hand exercise with a small ball

Education Therapy Service rolled out to schools

Special schools expected to have a speech and language therapist and occupational therapist assigned by 2026/27

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Social Media Apps - BeReal and Others

Government plans PPS-based age checks for online platforms to protect children

Ireland plans to introduce PPS-based age verification for social media platforms this year to protect children online

Thu, 05 Feb, 2026

Baby food: SMA First Infant Milk urgent product recall due to food poisoning risk

Baby food: SMA First Infant Milk urgent product recall due to food poisoning risk

The latest recall, this time by Nestlé, is again linked to a heat-resistant toxin called cereulide which can cause food poisoning

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Ageing parents of children with disabilities 'run ragged full-time caring have to be lobbyists too’

Ageing parents of children with disabilities 'run ragged full-time caring have to be lobbyists too’

With nobody to represent them, people with intellectual disabilities may never leave for-profit emergency placements far from home, writes Cianan Brennan

Tue, 03 Feb, 2026

Feeding bottle with infant formula and powder on violet background, flat lay

How a toxin linked to baby formula exposed risks in the global food supply chain

Concerns over a toxin linked to infant formula have exposed vulnerabilities in global food supply chains and recall systems

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

‘She needed a heart sooner’: Mother’s plea as baby Alice’s story highlights organ donation crisis

‘She needed a heart sooner’: Mother’s plea as baby Alice’s story highlights organ donation crisis

Majella Spang shares her daughter Alice’s story in the hope of raising awareness about the desperate shortage of baby organ donors

Mon, 02 Feb, 2026

Aptamil infant formula recall

Baby food fears: Inspectors visit Cork and Wexford plants amid toxin scare

Department of Agriculture dispatches inspectors to factories as global concern grows around baby food production

Sun, 01 Feb, 2026

CC HPV VACCINATION LAUNCH

Disability centre for children was reported 'immedately' to Tulsa due to safety concerns

The centre, run by a provider chaired by a former HSE director-general Tony O’Brien, was assessed against 15 standards, and found not compliant with 14.

Fri, 30 Jan, 2026

Advances in AI and technology mean children face 'more sinister forms of exploitation', say gardaí

Advances in AI and technology mean children face 'more sinister forms of exploitation', say gardaí

The Oireachtas Children's Committee heard that gardaí identified 16 children in Ireland suspected of being victims of online exploitation and harm last year

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Government turns to TikTok to highlight risks of cosmetic surgery abroad

Social media firms have 'too much discretion' over children's online safety with rules 'playing catch-up'

The Ombudsman for Children’s Office will tell the Oireachtas Children’s Committee the current legal framework to hold tech giants to account does not yet provide a 'clear, predictable' regulatory environment that makes sure online platforms fully respect children’s rights

Thu, 29 Jan, 2026

Grace Lynch death

Campaigners blast Government for dragging heels on scrambler bike ban

Road Safety Group says it should not have taken the death of a teenager for the Government to look at implementing regulations legislated for in 2023

Wed, 28 Jan, 2026

Middle aged asia people old mom holding hands trust comfort help young woman talk crying stress relief at home. Mum as friend lo

'Parents of children with suicidal thoughts or who are self-harming being turned away from Camhs'

Families for Reform of Camhs will hear that families turning to hospital emergency departments to try and get urgent help

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Daughter looking a phone and ignoring her mother

Social media use 'an increasing concern' for parents, says helpline

Parentline said calls referencing anger and aggression continue to dominate their helplines

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Paschal Donohoe resignation

TD tells AI minister X has 'lied' to her about disabling Grok's nudification function

TD Paul Murphy told Niamh Smyth today: 'I just got someone in my office, with my consent, to undress me (using Grok).'

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Young girl relax with her smartphone on a sofa

French lawmakers vote to ban social media use by under-15s

Legislation, which also bans mobile phones in high schools, would make France the second country after Australia to take such a step

Tue, 27 Jan, 2026

Sad girl in hooded top, sitting on a window ledge with head in hands in despair

Urgent need for child psychiatrists in hospital paediatric units, experts warn

Acute paediatric mental health admissions 'not recorded or regulated'

Sun, 25 Jan, 2026

Two injectors dosing pens for subcutaneous injection of antidiabetic medication or anti-obesity medication hovering over a blue

Ozempic, Hollywood and the new war on weight: what lies behind the wonder drug

As Ozempic reshapes bodies and expectations, a new book probes the science, profits and risks behind the global weight-loss boom

Sun, 25 Jan, 2026

schoolgirl with headache stands at the blackboard

More than 300 children added to mental health service waiting lists in two months

Figures from the HSE confirm that 4,375 children were on waiting lists for Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services (Camhs) at the end of November

Fri, 23 Jan, 2026

Expert warns of ‘alarming’ rise in spinal cord damage from laughing gas abuse

Expert warns of ‘alarming’ rise in spinal cord damage from laughing gas abuse

Most of the patients in the study improved after treatment, but none fully recovered, and all of them were left with some lasting neurological damage

Fri, 23 Jan, 2026

Stock

Waste company collecting 3,000 used 'fast gas' canisters a week, drugs committee hears

The Oireachtas drugs committee chair, Gary Gannon, said people might not be aware it is now such a commonly used drug

Thu, 22 Jan, 2026

Female bare feet with weight scale

Lack of HSE services 'tears families apart', says Cork mother whose daughter died with eating disorder

Paula Crotty told the Oireachtas Health Committee that her daughter, Jennifer, died almost three years ago

Wed, 21 Jan, 2026

CHI hospitals can continue to train doctors, Medical Council determines

CHI hospitals can continue to train doctors, Medical Council determines

Medical Council inspectors approve training standards at CHI but warn outdated HR and IT systems are undermining patient safety

Wed, 21 Jan, 2026

Royal High School

Autistic girl's family told to seek special school place in other counties

Autistic girl's mother, Áine Curtin, says: 'It's not just me... They have kids getting on buses in Cork and going to schools in Kerry'

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

Boy with smartphone indoors. Preteen boy using a phone checking social media. Concept of children using the smartphone

Grok app abuse is 'mild compared to AI girlfriend sites'

'AI girlfriend' websites ‘actively advertised to teens and pre-teens’

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

Sad boy

New report reveals 'awful' and 'frightening' cases of severe child neglect and sexual assault

The Child Law Project, which reports on child protection proceedings, has published 77 new case reports to detail the kinds of cases that come before the courts

Mon, 19 Jan, 2026

Irish Examiner view: The State is trapped in an absurd legal loop of its own making

Irish Examiner view: The State is trapped in an absurd legal loop of its own making

The case of Enoch Burke has passed from farce into something more troubling

Fri, 16 Jan, 2026

‘In Myanmar, I could feed my children. I can’t do the same here’

‘In Myanmar, I could feed my children. I can’t do the same here’

From 2026, funding for humanitarian aid to support Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh will be halved, writes Eilis Staunton

Thu, 15 Jan, 2026

School attendance figures

Parents raise alarm at repurposing of special classes

Re-classification of early intervention classes as autism classes is raising concerns, writes Education Correspondent Jess Casey

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Scoliosis and spina bifida: Families 'clear' about what they want from inquiry

Scoliosis and spina bifida: Families 'clear' about what they want from inquiry

Dozens of families travelled from all over the country to meet ahead of an inquiry into care for children with spina bifida and scoliosis

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Chris Luke: Children need a healthy fear of inhaling gases

Chris Luke: Children need a healthy fear of inhaling gases

Don't leave it up to grieving parents — it's up to all of us to show kids the consequences of 'huffing' or volatile substance abuse

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

Virtual reality helping patients in chronic pain

Virtual reality helping patients in chronic pain

Headsets aiding cancer patients and children undergoing care in public hospitals in Limerick and Galway

Mon, 12 Jan, 2026

File Photo The Health Service Executive has said it is working to establish how many patients may need to have their medical tes

New Camhs youth and parent panels due to start within months, HSE says

The bodies are part of HSE plans to improve the involvement of children and their parents in the running of the service

Fri, 09 Jan, 2026

Current Camhs system 'isn't fit for purpose' for neurodivergent users, say parents

Current Camhs system 'isn't fit for purpose' for neurodivergent users, say parents

Families for Reform of Camhs welcomed the research, stating that the findings 'ring true' for many of its members who have loved ones in the service

Fri, 09 Jan, 2026

mouth checkup oral hygiene. white healthy woman teeth and dentist mirror. closeup

Department defends commitment to oral health policy despite no date for implementation plan

The national oral health policy, Smile Agus Sláinte, aims to provide supports for everyone to have healthy teeth and reduce inequalities in healthcare

Thu, 08 Jan, 2026

Child counselor during psychotherapy session

Sustained investment and 'cultural shift' needed in Camhs

Professionals linked to the Child and Adolescent Mental Health Service (Camhs) say families must be partners in their children's care, Cormac O'Keeffe writes

Wed, 07 Jan, 2026

Cork v Tipperary - GAA Hurling All-Ireland Senior Championship Semi-Final

Dividing young GAA players by ability can be ‘very beneficial’

PhD researcher says issue of GAA 'streaming' is an emotive one for parents and children

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

Young boy sitting outside holding a mobile or cellular smart phone. Connectivity, internet, millenial, screen time concepts.

Children and porn: Horrific court cases show why Ireland must bring in age verification now

In two recent Irish cases, boys who abused girls had been consuming porn from an early age. Gemma Kelly says we must curb children's access to porn that normalises violent non-consensual sex

Tue, 06 Jan, 2026

'Build your own AI slut': Boys being targeted online by surge in 'girlfriend' websites

'Build your own AI slut': Boys being targeted online by surge in 'girlfriend' websites

Security Correspondent Cormac O’Keeffe looks at the surge of 'AI girlfriend' sites and talks to experts about the impact it is having — and going to have — and the need for the State to compel the tech industry to act

Mon, 05 Jan, 2026