Infants and young babies in certain parts of Dublin are missing out on crucial developmental checkups due to a shortage of public health nurses.
In Ireland, every child is entitled to several free health and development checks from just after they are born until the age of five.
Babies get checkups immediately after birth, during their first week at home and again before they are six weeks old.
They are also entitled to a key development check between the ages of nine and 11 months, where the public health nurse will examine their physical, social and behavioural development.
There are then further development checks just before they turn two, before they turn four and when they start school.
"Gutted"
On Newstalk Breakfast this morning, former ‘Tallafornia’ star and podcast host Kelly Donegan said she was ‘raging’ to get a letter to say her 10-month-old girl Cherry would not be getting her development check.
“I'm gutted and I'm disappointed,” she said.
“I mean, we're a really busy, hardworking family. We worked extremely hard to buy a house – it nearly had us on our knees.
“You know, we really just seem to be working so hard for everything and now we're receiving a letter telling us our child isn't going to receive their basic healthcare rights and it's just not good enough.
“We're raging; we're just raging.”
Video highlighting the issue of Public Health Nurses in Dublin 12
Disappointed that my baby is excluded from her basic health care rights in the first year of life ! https://t.co/4iSl80vPml
— Kelly Donegan (@ItsKellyDonegan) October 8, 2024
Kelly said she has heard from mothers in other parts of Dublin who are facing similar issues since she went public with her story.
She said the letter didn’t offer any reason for the cancellation of the check, “just that there are staff shortages and that the area has been moved to priority”.
“Now, I live in Dublin 12 and I know that it is an issue [in other parts of Dublin] because I put out the video publicly yesterday and I've had messages from mothers, parents, fathers from Dublin 12, which is where I'm from, Dublin 11, Dublin 24, Gorey and parts of Kildare.
“It definitely seems to be very specific in terms of location, which is incredibly disappointing because like any mother, you don't want to feel like your child is receiving different treatment to any other child.
“Every child is created equal and it really is highlighting that there is an inequality for children in the healthcare services, depending on where you are from – which is devastating.”
Development checks
Kelly said she is shocked that Ireland can’t offer children basic developmental checks given the amount of money in the economy.
“We're one of the richest countries in the world,” she said. “What are we, the fourth in the OECD?
“And we can't offer our children the most basic health care right in their first year of life.
“Our most vulnerable members of society aren't getting what they're entitled to and I just can't imagine the worry and concern anybody would have if they do have issues.”
Public Health Nurses
In a statement, the HSE said that as of July 2024, some 86.6% of infants around Ireland had their nine to 11-month public health nurse check either on-time or before the age of one.
A spokesperson said the health service is aware of difficulties relating to the recruitment of public health nurses in Dublin and particularly in Dublin West.
It said it has put several ‘short-term temporary solutions’ in place to address the shortfall, adding that it is prioritising and supporting the patients “who have the greatest need in the community”.
They said the health service is also taking steps to encourage more people to train as public health nurses – adding that its sponsorship scheme has seen a 10% increase in uptake this year.
The health service is urging any parent who has concerns about their child’s development to contact their GP or Local Public Health Nursing service.
