Free guide for Irish parents
Your child's Assessment of Need is delayed. Here's what the law says, and what to do next.
The HSE has three legal deadlines. This 8-page guide shows you how to check if they've been missed, what to send, who to complain to, and what to do when the services never arrive.
Free 8-page PDF · Takes 20 seconds
Sound familiar?
You applied months ago and nobody can say when it will start.
You've been told about the waiting list more than once.
You have the report, but no service has begun.
You don't know who to complain to, or whether it would change anything.
Free guide for Irish parents
Your child's Assessment of Need is delayed. Here's what the law says, and what to do next.
The HSE has three legal deadlines. This 8-page guide shows you how to check if they've been missed, what to send, who to complain to, and what to do when the services never arrive.
Free 8-page PDF · Takes 20 seconds
Sound familiar?
You applied months ago and nobody can say when it will start.
You've been told about the waiting list more than once.
You have the report, but no service has begun.
What's inside
Eight pages. Two situations. One clear next step.
The guide is split for the two places parents usually find themselves: waiting for the assessment to happen, or waiting for the services after it.
What's inside
Eight pages. Two situations. One clear next step.
The guide is split for the two places parents usually find themselves: waiting for the assessment to happen, or waiting for the services after it.
Pages 2 to 4
If the assessment hasn't started, or hasn't finished
5-minute read
The three dates the HSE must meet, as numbers
A worked example so you can check your own timeline
The written update request, then the complaints route and what the complaints officer's report does
Pages 5 to 7
If you have the report, but no services
5-minute read
What a service statement is
What the HSE owes once the service statement is issued
The evidence checklist, with tick boxes
A fillable one-page timeline tracker
Page 8 tells you where to go next if the dates have passed.
Pages 2 to 4
If the assessment hasn't started, or hasn't finished
5-minute read
The three dates the HSE must meet, as numbers
A worked example so you can check your own timeline
The written update request, then the complaints route and what the complaints officer's report does
Pages 5 to 7
If you have the report, but no services
5-minute read
What a service statement is, and what the HSE owes once it's issued
The evidence checklist, with tick boxes
A fillable one-page timeline tracker
Page 8 tells you where to go next if the dates have passed.
Written by
Written by the solicitor who takes these cases.
I'm Claire Delahunty, solicitor and founder of Delahunty O'Connor & Co. Solicitors. I represent families across Ireland on Assessment of Need delays, service statement delays and school place refusals.
This guide sets out the process I walk parents through on a first call, so you can start before you ever speak to a solicitor. Know your dates, keep your paper, and you're already ahead.
Solicitor, Law Society of Ireland
Disability rights and education law
Phone consultations for families nationwide
3 months
To commence the assessment
From the date the HSE receives your completed application
3 months
To complete the assessment
So the report is due within 6 months of applying
1 month
For the service statement
From the liaison officer receiving the report
Written by
Written by the solicitor who takes these cases.
I'm Claire Delahunty, solicitor and founder of Delahunty O'Connor & Co. Solicitors. I represent families across Ireland on Assessment of Need delays, service statement delays and school place refusals.
3
Months to commence the assessment
From the date the HSE receives your completed application
3
Months to complete the assessment
So the report is due within 6 months of applying
1
Month for the service statement
From the liaison officer receiving the report
What's in the guide.
The three dates the HSE must meet, in plain numbers
A worked example to check your own timeline
The written update request to send first
How the AON complaints officer works and what their report does
What a service statement is, and what to do when the services don't start
An evidence checklist with tick boxes
A fillable one-page timeline tracker
Where to go next if the dates have passed
Get the guide
Eight pages. Free. Sent straight to your inbox.
What's in the guide.
The three dates the HSE must meet, in plain numbers
A worked example to check your own timeline
The written update request to send first
How the AON complaints officer works and what their report does
An evidence checklist with tick boxes
What a service statement is, and what to do when the services don't start
A fillable one-page timeline tracker
Where to go next if the dates have passed
Get the guide
Eight pages. Free. Sent straight to your inbox.
Get the guide
Send me the guide
Takes 20 seconds. We'll email the PDF, plus a short series on the AON process.
Questions you're probably thinking
Do I need a solicitor to use this guide?
No. Pages 2 to 7 are written so you can check your dates, send the update request and make the complaint yourself. The consultation is there for when the dates have passed or the services haven't come, and you want to know what the next step involves.
Is this only for autism assessments?
No. An Assessment of Need covers any child who may have a disability, and the deadlines are the same whatever the suspected need.
What happens on the phone consultation?
Around 20 minutes with Claire Delahunty. She'll ask where your child's AON is at, confirm which deadline applies, and explain the next step. If the firm can help further, she'll tell you what that would involve and discuss the next steps.
We're not in Dublin. Does that matter?
No. The guide applies anywhere in Ireland, and consultations are by phone for families nationwide.
Know where you stand before your next call with the HSE.
Eight pages, the three legal dates, and a tracker you can bring to any call. Free, no obligation.
Know where you stand before your next call with the HSE.
Eight pages, the three legal dates, and a tracker you can bring to any call. Free, no obligation.
This guide is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Reading or downloading it does not establish a solicitor-client relationship.