At least 24 per cent of children with disabilities in State accommodation are living more than 50km from their home – a situation that amounts to a form of enforced separation from family and community life, according to Social Democrats TD Liam Quaide.
Deputy Quaide, who is the party’s spokesperson on disability, said:
“The figures I received from the HSE are deeply troubling, not just because of the high percentage of children living in HIQA designated disability centres so far away from their home, but because of the significant gaps in the data.
“The HSE response does not allow the national figure to be calculated. In fact, the requested distance data was absent or unusable for areas covering almost half the country’s population. This means the true number of children placed more than 50km from home is very likely to be substantially higher.
“We know that the number of children with disabilities living in State residential care has almost doubled from 155 to 300 in the space of two years. The incomplete figures I received from the HSE show that of the 71 children living more than 50km from their home, almost half are more than 100km from their communities.
“The distances reflected in these figures are a form of enforced separation from family and community life. For a child, it means less contact with parents, siblings and grandparents, disruption to familiar routines, and a childhood lived essentially in exile from the people and places that bring a sense of security and belonging.
“For families who have already reached crisis point, these distances result in additional travel costs, exhaustion and add chronic emotional strain to an already painful situation.
“The gaps in the HSE response point to a serious failure of national oversight. The Government now needs to identify every child placed far from home, publish clear national distance data, and build the local residential, respite and family supports needed so children can live in their homes or close to their communities.”
June 24, 2026