'Waiting lists have never been worse': HSE figures highlight service gaps across the country 

The figures were released to Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane. 'Waiting lists have never been worse,' he said.  Picture: Sasko Lazarov/RollingNews.ie

Nearly 260,000 people were waiting on therapy treatment or assessment in their community by December 2024, compared to around 167,000 on similar lists five years earlier, new HSE data shows.

Babies unable to feed, older people struggling to recover from hip operations, and teenagers needing glasses could be hidden in these numbers, therapists warned.