It has now been over three months since construction on the National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town was halted, and despite ongoing appeals for Government intervention, there has been no update on when work will resume.

The facility, which was set to become a vital therapy hub for children with additional needs, remains half-built and fenced off, with no clear resolution in sight. The delay continues to impact thousands of children and families who were relying on the centre to provide critical services, including speech and language therapy, occupational therapy, and psychological assessments.

📌 Why Has Construction Stopped?

The delay stems from a €4 million funding shortfall, which has prevented the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) from releasing the remaining €4.8 million of the €9.6 million originally committed to the project. The Department of Justice, which oversees the IIP, has stated that it cannot release the remaining funds until Sensational Kids can provide evidence of an additional €4 million needed to complete the fit-out of the centre.

Despite months of discussions with Government officials, there has been no resolution to this funding gap, leaving the project in limbo and creating further uncertainty for families awaiting much-needed services.

Sensational Kids, the award-winning social enterprise behind the project, has been forced to cover the costs of maintaining the abandoned construction site, including €200,000 in security and demobilisation expenses. These additional costs, alongside inevitable rising construction prices, will only make the project more expensive the longer it remains stalled.

CEO of Sensational Kids, Karen Leigh, has expressed frustration over the prolonged delay

🏗️ The Impact on Children and Families

The longer the project remains incomplete, the greater the impact on the thousands of children who require therapy services. Currently:

  • Over 2,000 children remain on the waiting list for therapy at the new centre.
  • 90% of these children are also on lengthy HSE waiting lists.
  • It is estimated that 110,000+ children are waiting for therapy services nationwide.

The National Child Development Centre was intended to address these growing waiting lists, offering 13,000 therapy sessions annually to children with additional needs, including those who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic, or have Down syndrome, ADHD, sensory processing differences, or developmental delays.

With public therapy services under increasing strain, Sensational Kids plays a critical role in bridging the gap by offering affordable, high-quality therapy at reduced costs, ensuring families are not financially burdened while waiting for public healthcare support.

But until construction resumes, these essential services remain unavailable.

👥 Calls for Action from Local Representatives

Sensational Kids has been actively engaging with Government officials to resolve the funding issue. However, with no progress after three months, families and community members are calling for greater transparency and urgency from the Department of Justice and local representatives.

Elected TDs for Kildare South, including:

🔹 Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Fianna Fáil)
🔹 Martin Heydon (Fine Gael)
🔹 Mark Wall (Labour)
🔹 Shónagh Ní Raghallaigh (Sinn Féin)

have yet to provide any concrete solutions to break the deadlock and ensure that this urgently needed facility is completed.

The absence of clear communication on when construction will restart has left families feeling uncertain and frustrated, as they continue to face long waiting lists with no immediate solution in sight.

📢 What Happens Next?

Sensational Kids remains committed to seeing this project through and has vowed to continue engaging with all relevant stakeholders to secure the funding needed. However, the current lack of action from the Government raises concerns about how long this delay will persist.

📢 Key questions remain unanswered:

  • When will the Government take decisive action to resolve the funding shortfall?
  • Why has a project that was already approved and under construction been allowed to stall?
  • What assurances are in place that the National Child Development Centre will not be left incomplete indefinitely?

The situation remains uncertain, and without immediate intervention, children with additional needs across the country will continue to wait for services that should already be available.

Kildare Town News will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as they come.

📣 How You Can Help

🔹 Support Sensational Kids – Donate to their GoFundMe campaign to help cover site maintenance costs and prevent further financial strain.
🔹 Contact Your Local TD – Demand an update on what is being done to restart the project.
🔹 Spread Awareness – Share this article and keep the conversation going.

Families shouldn’t have to wait any longer. It’s time for action.

🔗 Follow Kildare Town News for the latest updates.