Over 7,000 children across Ireland missing crucial assessments amid HSE staffing issues

Thousands of children across Ireland are missing out on crucial developmental checkups due to a shortage of public health nurses, according to new figures released this week.

The figures released to Newstalk under the Freedom of Information Act revealed that at least 7,000 (15%) children did not receive an appointment for their 9-11 month developmental assessment from the HSE in 2024.

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The HSE has confirmed that is does not track the number of children who are receiving other early-years assessments at a national level so they have no way of knowing how many children did or did not receive them.

Every child in Ireland is entitled to receive a range of health and developmental checkups, free of charge, from when they are born up until the age of five.

The figures also revealed that parents across the country face a "lovation lottery", with some areas of the country recording much lower check rates than others.

In Dublin alone, nearly 4,000 children did not receive their check ups with similar situations in parts of Kerry, North Cork, Wexford, Cavan/Monaghan and Sligo/Leitrim.

Speaking on the Pat Kenny Show on Thursday morning, reporter Stephanie Rohan spoke to a mother from Lucan who was told her daughter would not be offered any further checks after her three-month assessment due to staff shortages.

"The public nurse said, 'Oh sorry, did I not say that at the last check-up? That that's it? There are no more checkups for your baby due to recruitment issues'", said Siobháin Uí Cheallaigh, "So, if someone is out on leave and they don't get replaced, they just don't have the required numbers."

Ms Uí Cheallaigh added, "It's not fair - for my daughter or any other child in Dublin Midwest - that they are not getting the same check-ins as other children across the country."

Consultant Neonatologist Paediatrician Dr Pamela O'Connor said these developmental checks are essential to be carried out in the early stages of a child's life.

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"The brain really is not developed fully at birth and in fact, it's not fully developed until after the first two years of life," she said, "So, this is a critical period for a child, for a baby, in developing and understanding their surroundings and in coping with living and interacting."

Dr O'Connor said Public Health nurses provide an "invaluable service" as they can pick up neurological conditions or issues relating to their motor skills development.

She added that thy can also pick up when a mother may be suffering from post-natal depression or maybe struggling to bond with their baby.

The HSE figures reveal that approximately 70,000 children across Ireland missed their 9-11 month developmental check between 2020 and 2024, however, those figures are impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic when check rates dropped to as low as 52% nationally.

In a statement, the HSE said it was "facing difficulties" recruiting and retaining public health nurses in Dublin, adding that it "continues to prioritise and support patients who have the greatest need" in the areas impacted by staff shortages.

Speaking on the issue, Dublin South East Director of Public Health Nursing Maeve Smyth said there is "absolutely no doubt that staffing is a challenge", particularly in areas where there are cost-of-living and housing challenges.

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"Attracting staff to stay and spend time in our services is difficult because of the affordability of rent and mortgages and getting housing," she added, "We hire actively [...] we had a 100% increase in applications for the public nursing course this year. So, we're really hopeful that we'll see a trajectory of improvement in staffing, particularly for those areas that were hit hard with staffing."

The HSE has said it is taking steps encouraging more people to train as public health nurses and that its sponsorship scheme has seen a 10% increase in uptake this year.

The health service also urged any parent who has any worries or concerns of their child's development to contact their GP or local Public Health Nursing service.