Three thousand children are waiting more than a year for speech therapy as Ireland has just half the number of language therapists it needs.
A paper due out today finds that access to speech and language therapy is effectively a lottery depending on where you live.
The report by Inclusion Ireland found that residents of Wexford and Donegal were found to be less likely to have quick access to services than those in parts of Cork and Wicklow.
One in four affected families said their children hadn't seen a therapist in a year.
Carol Feery, a mother who is dealing with some of these issues, spoke to Lunchtime with Jonathan Healy today: