Neale Richmond (Dublin Rathdown, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

One of the many impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic was the cancellation by public health nurses of the provision of developmental checks for newborn babies. This happened across the country and across Dublin and, since the ending of the emergency phase of the pandemic nine months ago, we have seen these steadily return.

One part of the capital, however, namely Leopardstown, Dublin 18, in the constituency the Minister of State, Deputy Madigan, and I represent, is still under-serviced in this area. In Leopardstown there are no developmental checks and the public health nurses are not making those visits. Instead, new parents have been told to go to their local GPs. The GPs are absolutely swamped. They do not have the capacity. Will the Government intervene to provide these new babies and their parents with the basic level of care needed in developmental checks?

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