149% rise in number of children waiting over two years for speech therapy 

There is also a backlog for children who have received a speech and language therapy assessment and are now waiting for therapy. File picture: PA

The number of children waiting over two years for an initial speech and language therapy assessment has risen by 149% in the space of 11 months.

In February, 1,245 children were awaiting an initial assessment for 24 months or more, up from 501 in March 2025.

Figures provided to Social Democrats TD for Cork South Central and chairman of the Oireachtas health committee Pádraig Rice confirmed that 36,428 children across the State were awaiting a speech and language therapy appointment of some description in February.

This included 19,856 children awaiting an initial assessment.

Of these, 1,245 were waiting for more than two years, an increase of 149% in 11 months.

In March 2025, there were 501 children awaiting an initial assessment for more than 24 months.

Of the children waiting for more than two years in February 2026, 803 were living in the HSE Dublin and North East region, which provides care for north and west Dublin, as well as Cavan/Monaghan, and Louth/Meath.

Some 1,969 children were waiting for an assessment for between 18 and 24 months, while 3,856 children have been waiting between 12 and 18 months.

There is also a backlog for children who have received a speech and language therapy assessment and are now waiting for therapy.

At the end of February, there were 6,831 children waiting for initial therapy. Of these, 899 had been waiting for more than 24 months, while another 633 had been waiting between 18 and 24 months.

Some 890 children had been on the initial therapy waiting list for between 12 and 18 months.

Some 9,741 children were also awaiting further speech and language therapy appointments. This included 987 children who were waiting for more than two years, and 986 children who have been waiting between 18 and 24 months.

In total, 3,131 children have been waiting longer than two years for a speech and language appointment.

Some 12,990 children have been waiting for more than one year.

Mr Rice told the Irish Examiner that the children’s speech and therapy waiting lists “remain stubbornly high, despite assurances that addressing it is a priority” for health minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.

“In the past year, the total number of children on a speech and language waiting list has risen by almost 3,000, while over 7,000 children have been waiting over a year just for an initial assessment, up 2,000 on last year,” he said.

“The core issue continues to be the shortage of staff, which is hampering the delivery of adequate primary care services.

“To address this, arbitrary recruitment caps must be scrapped as they are undermining the ability of services to recruit and retain staff, which in turn is fuelling these unacceptable waiting lists.

“This must finally be recognised by the minister.”

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