A Mayo mother warns cuts to her region’s therapy team will worsen delays for children with disabilities, risking long-term harm.

A mother in County Mayo, Ireland, has condemned cuts to her region’s Child Disability Network Team, saying the removal of a Speech and Language Therapist post will worsen long wait times—some exceeding three years—for vital services. She highlighted that her non-verbal son has waited since 2022, and with only four therapists now serving the area despite a five-post allocation, she fears reduced access to essential support. As a carer on benefits who left her job to take training courses, she stressed the financial and emotional toll on families unable to afford private therapy, which costs about €75 per hour. She urged increased funding and the removal of means-testing for caregivers, warning that cutting staff without fixing recruitment issues only deepens the crisis.