51 children under age of 4 awaiting psychology services in Waterford

51 children under the age of 4 are on a waiting list for psychology services in Waterford.

It comes as more than 110,000 children in Ireland are on waiting lists for therapies such as physiotherapy, dietetics, speech and language therapy and disability services, according to new figures.

When added to hospital waiting lists, this means about 220,000 children are on some form of waiting list in the public health service.

Unlike hospital waiting lists, therapy waiting lists are not published regularly.

Figures obtained by Sinn Féin health spokesman and Waterford TD, David Cullinane show 93,937 children were waiting for therapy at the end of May and June, of whom 29,705 were waiting for more than 12 months.

A further 17,405 children were waiting for “initial contact” with a children’s disability network team, 8,033 of them for more than 12 months.

Local breakdown

These figures show that of those 51 children, 13 have been waiting up to 3 months, 18 have been waiting 3 to 6-and-a-half months, and 17 have been waiting almost 10 months.

Three children under 4 years of age have been waiting between 10 and 12 months.

When it comes to those aged 5 to 17, 340 are on a waiting list for pyschology services.

The combined figures are the highest in the South East.

Meanwhile, 380 children are on waiting lists for Occupational Therapy in Waterford - 47 of those under 4 years of age.

In terms of Speech and Language, 459 children here are waiting for services. 274 are awaiting physiotherapy treatment.

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