THE DÁIL HAS heard that a grandparent wrote to Tánaiste Simon Harris offering to give up and trade his dialysis treatment so that his three-year-old grandson, who is non-verbal, can get speech and language therapy. 

The case was raised during Leaders’ Questions today by Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty, who said he was “taken aback” by the email he received from the grandfather after he got no reply from the Tánaiste. 

Doherty read out the initial letter the man sent to the Tánaiste: 

“Hi Simon, I’m getting in touch regarding my only grandchild, who’s three, and is non-verbal.

“He’s a beautiful, happy, funny boy. My heart breaks for him as he cannot talk and gets so frustrated. My daughter has him on a waiting list to be seen. I feel he’s been left behind.

“I myself am not well. I’m on dialysis three times weekly, and I’m sure a lot of problems boil down to money. I will do a trade-off. I will cease my treatment, saving the State a lot of money, if my grandson can get speech therapy.

“I know what my outcome will be. But I would give anything to hear his little voice.

“Please, Simon, treat this email seriously, as I’m 100% certain of my choices. I’m still young at 52, but at peace with my decision.”

Doherty said he subsequently reached out to the man and told him to continue with his treatment. He said the letter reflects the desperation the family is experiencing. 

“He would do anything just to hear his little voice, and he was willing to give up his own treatment, knowing that that would have an adverse impact on his own life.

“Thinking that by saving the State a few pounds, his young grandson would get treatment — but that’s the desperation that families are in under there,” the Donegal TD told the Dáil.

Doherty noted that the letter illustrates a wider failure in community care and pointed to HSE figures that show that there were 6,170 children at the end of August waiting to begin their initial speech and language therapy. 

In response, Harris said he was sorry to hear of the man’s distress and anxiety, and that he was not aware of having received the email but would raise it with his officials to check. 

He said the government recognises that primary care and therapy waiting lists are too long and said it is an area that is being worked on “intensively”.

He said Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill increased funding in 2025 to try and reduce waiting lists and build capacity, and made the point that CDNT (Children’s Disability Network Team) waiting lists were reduced by 28% in 2025. 

“I know for the three-year-old child today, that’s not the answer, but it is the answer for building up the capacity of the system to make sure we don’t find ourselves in a situation where any grandparent is worrying,” he said.