Over 11,000 children have been waiting at least one year for their first assessment with an occupational therapist.

That represents over half the children on the list, according to Freedom of Information figures released to Newstalk.

According to the HSE's latest figures, just under 21,000 children are waiting for their first assessment with an occupational therapist.

Some 11,023 have been waiting for more than one year.

The area with the highest number of children waiting more than a year is CHO (Community Health Organisation) 7 – which includes Kildare, west Wicklow and parts of south and west Dublin.

There are 1,836 kids waiting over a year in the area.

The second hardest hit area includes Cork and Kerry, where 1,727 are waiting.

The interim Chief Executive of Inclusion Ireland Lorraine Dempsey told Newstalk the new figures are “very concerning.”

“If there is a question mark over a child and their development – maybe they are not within the expected developmental goals that a parent might have anticipated – first of all there is the fear of the unknown, particularly if you felt that your child should have been able to do certain things, and wonder what is behind that,” she said.

“That really is worrying for the parent because the full weight of that is on their shoulders.”

She warned that any delay in assessing a child’s needs means a knock-on delay in in terms of putting together a programme of intervention to help them.

The country's third worst region is CHO 8 – which includes the Midlands, Louth and Meath – where 1,657 children are waiting over a year.