This morning, new parents in Lucan were informed by letter that the public health nurse service will not be providing developmental check-ups for newborns and infants. Three-month, nine- to 11-month, 21- to 24-month and 46- to 48-month check-ups are all cancelled. The reason given is that the public health nurse service is so understaffed that other areas are being prioritised. Parents in Lucan are furious and I am absolutely furious too. This is such an important issue. Developmental check-ups are vital when it comes to picking up potential issues. It is also very important for peace of mind for new parents. Cancelling these services is totally unacceptable. It is simply not good enough. We need to resolve it as soon as possible. Can the Minister ensure that funding is put in place to make sure that if this is a resourcing issue, resources are provided to deliver these very important services to my constituents?

I thank the Deputy for raising this. I absolutely recognise the value of developmental check-ups for children. As the Deputy said, it provides peace of mind in the vast majority of instances, but also, where there is an issue, early detection and warning is vital when it comes to intervening and making a difference. I do not know the detail of the area and the case the Deputy raised. I assume it is related to recruitment. I will ask the Minister, Deputy Donnelly, to look into this and revert to the Deputy. Certainly, I am not aware of any national policy change, so I can only assume that it is a shortage of staff because of an inability to recruit. We will look into it and come back to the Deputy.