Just five assessments of need were completed in Clare in the first three months of this year.
New data from the Department of Children, Disability and Equality reveals over 100 assessments were overdue in the county at the end of March.
An assessment of need is a formal legal process carried out by the HSE to determine the health and educational needs of a person stemming from a disability.
One month after an assessment is conducted, the HSE issues a service statement which lists the public health services and supports the HSE intends to provide to meet a child’s needs.
In the first three months of 2026, just five assessments were carried out in Clare, with one service statement completed.
By the end of this period, a total of 109 assessments of need were overdue in this county.
Of these, 94, or 86%, were overdue by three months or more, while seven were between one and three months overdue, and eight were overdue by less than a month.
Nationally, 1,528 assessments of need reports were completed in the first quarter of the year which was up 9% on the same period last year.
