Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, Independents 4 Change) | Oireachtas source

I also wish to express solidarity with the families of the Stardust 48 and the communities of Kilmore, Artane and Coolock, where I grew up as a child.

I want to raise the issue of children's developmental health checks. I raised this issue on several occasions last year with regard to the Curlew Road and Old County Road primary care centres. I have recently been informed that the same problem exists at the centres in Islandbridge and it continues at Curlew Road. A lack of public health nurses is stopping children's developmental checks from taking place. I was told this was a temporary issue when I raised it but it appears not only was it not temporary, but it is getting worse and is affecting the whole of the Dublin 8, 10 and 12 areas. I know three-month and ten-month checks are affected. A constituent contacted me to say their child had received no ten-month check and no 24-month check, and was eventually told the service might be lucky to have staff in place by their child's four-year check. At Curlew Road, the parent of a one-year-old child is also waiting. Can parents across the Dublin 8 and 12 areas expect the Government to put the staff in place to resume early childhood development checks? No child should be without those checks.

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