Press release
Sensational Kids Forced to Stop Building Work of New National Child Development Centre, Kildare Town
Government must release promised funds for children with additional needs
Half-built facility: an eye sore and potential health & safety hazard in Kildare Town centre
Monday 18th November 2024, Kildare: Thousands of children across the country with additional needs who are in desperate need of therapy services are being put at risk with the sudden refusal of the Department of Justice to release committed funds for the construction of Ireland’s National Child Development Centre – that’s the message coming from Sensational Kids, the award-winning social enterprise and charity that is spearheading the project. Sensational Kids is hugely disappointed to have been forced to stop the construction work of its new National Child Development Centre, leaving a half built site in Kildare Town.
The organisation is calling on the Government, specifically the Department of Justice, to release promised funds as a matter of urgency.
Sensational Kid’s mission is to ensure that no child is left waiting for life-changing therapeutic support. The organisation supports children with additional needs, including those children who are autistic, dyslexic, dyspraxic or have Downs syndrome, ADHD, sensory processing differences or developmental delays that might require additional support or accommodations at home or at school. When complete, the National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town aims to support over 300 children per week, providing 13,000 therapy sessions – including occupational therapy, speech and language therapy, psychological assessments and play therapy – annually for children in need who are currently on lengthy waiting lists. The decision to halt the construction work of the 17,000 sq. foot site is due to withholding of funding already approved by the Immigrant Investor Programme (IIP) managed by the Department of Justice.
Sensational Kids were told by the IIP on 16th October that the IIP will not release the remaining 50% of €9.6 million funding previously committed to the project. The reason given for this decision is a shortfall of an additional €4 million needed for the fit out of the facility currently under construction. The IIP states that it will not release funding until it has evidence of the €4 million needed to complete the fit out of the project. Sensational Kids has been in discussions with officials in relation to bridging this €4 million shortfall for a number of months.
Karen Leigh, founder & CEO, Sensational Kids said, “To have to halt construction work is devastating and hugely frustrating. We are urgently calling on the Government, specifically the Department of Justice, to release funds and allow construction work to continue. This sudden refusal to release committed funding now puts the planned National Child Development Centre in Kildare Town at risk of not being finished, depriving thousands of children with additional needs throughout the country of receiving long awaited therapies and assessments.”
“In addition, it will cost a further €200,000 to close and secure the site – removing heavy machinery, securely fencing off the building site – leaving a shell of a site of no value to anyone, a possible health and safety risk and an eye sore in the town centre.”
“We at Sensational Kids are doing everything possible to resolve this completely avoidable situation. We are ready and willing to talk to Government and IIP officials to secure the final 50% of the promised funding needed to get the project back on track as quickly as possible. This project simply must go ahead as we will not fail our children,” continued Leigh.
“The situation is particularly frustrating given there are thousands of children with additional needs from all around the country in desperate need of the high-quality therapy and assessments provided by Sensational Kids. In addition to extremely lengthy public waiting lists for children with additional needs for therapy services in Co. Kildare alone, Sensational Kids itself already has more than 2,000 children waiting to avail of therapies at this new facility, 90% of whom are also on HSE waiting lists. It is estimated that there is a waiting list of over 110,000 nationally[1].”
“Sensational Kids will continue to work day and night with all parties – IIP and Government – to secure the final 50% of the already committed funding to get the project restarted as quickly as possible. We are confident that all parties will come together to drive this much needed project onward and we look forward to helping children to reach their full potential.” concluded Leigh.
Ends//
For further information:
Louise Cassidy 086 383 5727 louise@ckcomms.ie
Claire Keane 087 121 4140 claire@ckcomms.ie
Notes to Editors:
The National Child Development Centre
The National Child Development Centre is a cutting-edge facility spanning 17,000 sq ft being built on a 2.4-acre greenfield site just off the M7 motorway.
Key features of the new centre when complete include 11 Therapy Rooms, 4 Sensory Motor Therapy Gyms, a Sensory Room, Therapeutic Kitchen, Training Rooms, Play, Develop & Learn Store, Therapeutic Playground, and Sensory Gardens.
The new centre aims to support over 300 children per week, providing 13,000 therapy sessions annually for children in need. Additionally, it will equip thousands of parents, teachers, SNAs, and clinicians with the knowledge, skills, and resources needed to better support the children in their care.
About Sensational Kids
Sensational Kids is a social enterprise and charity founded in 2007, dedicated to providing affordable and accessible developmental assessments and therapies to children and adolescents with additional needs. The organisation currently operates Child Development Centres in Kildare, Cork, Mayo, and Monaghan. Sensational Kids has directly supported over 10,000 children from all over Ireland through their child development centres. Sensational Kid’s mission is to ensure that no child is left waiting for life-changing therapeutic support. For their impact story https://www.sensationalkids.ie/our-impact/impact-report-2023/ and for further information on Sensational Kids go to website: www.sensationalkids.ie.
[1] According to HSE data