National Child Development Centre, Kildare stalled due to lack of government funding

Award-winning social enterprise, Sensational Kids is asking local elected representatives what is being done to re-start building work of the National Child Development Centre in Kildare town.

According to the organisation, thousands of children with additional needs who are in desperate need of therapy services are being forced to wait even longer for the support they need due to Government withholding funds promised for the build.

Sensational Kids provides high-quality therapy services at significantly reduced costs, breaking down financial barriers so that children receive the support they need.

Therapies offered for children who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or have Downs syndrome, include occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychological assessments and play therapy.

The organisation is calling on the Government, specifically the Department of Justice, to release investor approvals to facilitate the release of funding as a matter of urgency.

Karen Leigh, Founder & CEO, Sensational Kids said: “We are asking Kildare South TDs Seán Ó Fearghaíl (FF); Martin Heydon (Fine Gael); Mark Wall (Labour) and Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Sinn Féin) what they are doing, and will do, to get this build back on track asap.

“We are doing everything we can to resolve this situation but we need help and support. We will not give up on this project as our children depend on it.

“When complete, the National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town aims to support 300+ children per week, providing 13,000 therapy sessions annually for children in need who are currently on lengthy waiting lists.”

As a result of having to halt construction, the charity has been forced to start a GoFundMe campaign to cover the costs of maintaining the site during its closure, the additional costs to demobilise and remobilise the project, and increased costs for the remainder of the project as construction prices will inevitably rise next year.

The decision to halt the construction work of the 17,000 sq. foot site is due to withholding of investor approvals for funding already approved by the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) managed by the Department of Justice.

Sensational Kids were told by the IIP on October 16 that the IIP will not release the remaining 50% of €9.6 million investor approvals for funding previously committed to the project.

The reason given for this decision is a shortfall of an additional €4 million needed for the fit out of the facility currently under construction.

The IIP states that it will not release funding until it has evidence of the €4 million needed to complete the fit out of the project. Sensational Kids has been in discussions with Government officials in relation to bridging this €4 million shortfall for a number of months.

Ms Leigh added: “We at Sensational Kids are doing everything possible to resolve this completely avoidable situation.

“We are ready and willing to talk to Government and IIP officials to secure the final 50% of the promised funding needed to get the project back on track as quickly as possible. This project simply must go ahead as so many children the length and breadth of the country are depending on us,” continued Leigh.”

Sensational Kids itself already has more than 2,000 children waiting to avail of therapies at this new facility, 90% of whom are also on HSE waiting lists.

It is estimated that there is a waiting list of over 110,000 nationally.