Nearly 215,000 children are on Irish healthcare waiting lists.

Figures obtained by Fianna Fáil health spokesperson Stephen Donnelly reveal that over 117,000 are on hospital waiting lists.

There nearly 90,000 more waiting for community healthcare including psychology and speech and language therapy.

According to the data, more than a quarter of the children – nearly 60,000 – have been waiting to be seen for longer than a year.

"Urgent"

Deputy Donnelly said many children are left waiting years for critical operations and primary care services.

“This includes very sick children in need of urgent surgery,” he said.

“It includes special needs children in urgent need of therapeutic supports like speech and language and occupational therapy.

“It includes children waiting for psychology, for diagnostic scans, and much more.”

"Damning indictment"

He said the children may be in pain and deteriorating while waiting for their appointment.

“This is a damning indictment of this government’s failures in healthcare,” he said.

“It is a dark stain on our country that this is happening.”

According to the figures there are nearly 7,500 children waiting to see a psychologist, nearly 29,000 waiting for speech and language therapy and 20,500 waiting for eye or ear appointments.

Deputy Donnelly warned that the children “need solutions, and they need them now.”