National organisations

This organisation offers help and support for individuals and families affected by 22q11.2 deletion sydrome. Their aim is to provide lifelong support for those impacted by 22q11.

ADHD Ireland’s objective is to support young people and adults with ADHD, and their carers and families too. They provide a phone and email helpline. They also run an ADHD School Friendly Programme for teachers and schools. You can see a list of their events here. 

The Anne Sullivan Centre provides a range of services for people who are deafblind across the country. The services they provide include: 

• Residential
• Day Services
• Outreach
• Information and Advice
• Assistive Technology Library

AsIAm runs a programme of support and information for parents of recently diagnosed children. It also runs a support programme for teenagers with autism. 

The AsIAm Autism ID Card was created to help Autistic people navigate their daily life more easily. It contains a short description of a person's Autistic support needs and a reminder that the person with the card may need some extra help and support. 

Aspire supports the autistic person and their support network. They also advocate on behalf of autistic people and provide them with the tools to advocate for themselves.

They run social meet ups and support programmes for both adults and youths.

Their Advice and Guidance section includes information on autism, education, and independent living.

Aware supports people impacted by anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder and related mood conditions. They have an Information and Resources Section. Its support line is available 7 days a week from 10am to 10pm (Freephone: 1800 80 48 48). It is for people over 18 years old. They also have a Support Email service. It is available to anyone (aged 18+) seeking support. Aware also runs Support and Self Care Groups in-person, by phone, and by zoom. 

Barnardos work with children from 0-18 years. They also work with families through their family support service, and their Partnership with Parents programme. They have a resources section for parents which includes free e-books for downloading. They also run Parent and Toddler Groups. 

Barretstown offers free, specially designed camps and programmes for children and their families living with a serious illness – supported behind the scenes by 24-hour on-site medical and nursing care. You can read more about their range of camps here. 

Belong To is the national LGBTQ+ youth organisation. It shares details of LGBTQ+ youth groups. 

It works with Pieta to provide a free crisis counselling service for LGBTQ+ young people (between the ages of 14-23 years). You can call Pieta on: 085 856 9312 (9am to 5pm, Mon-Fri) or email belongto@pieta.ie.

BeLong To also offers a dedicated drug and alcohol service for LGBTQ+ youth. 

Bodywhys supports people affected by eating disorders. They give email and helpline support. They run online chat support groups, including the Youth Connect group for 13-18 years olds, virtual video support groups, and family programmes. They have a Resources Section for schools and parents. You'll also find details of their upcoming events. 

BUMBLEance is the official Children’s National Ambulance Service of Ireland. They provide safe and comfortable transportation for Ireland’s youngest patients as they travel between their homes and hospitals, hospices, treatment centres, and respite centres nationwide.

Childline is a 24/7 support line for children and young people up to and including the age of 18.  Contact them for free on 1800 66 66 66. You can also use their Live Chat button on the website. Childline has an Advice section. Childline also offers free digital mental health programmes aimed at reducing anxiety for children and young people. They also run programmes for parents and carers supporting their anxious child or teenager. 

This website is for families with a child requiring inpatient and outpatient hospital care. It shares information on preparing a child for hospital or procedures. They also have a Family Support Officer, available to speak to daily from 8.30am-3.30pm. You will also find this helpful guide on the website, What to expect if your child is going to hospital.

ChildVision is Ireland’s only dedicated centre for children with sight loss, some of whom also have profound sensory impairments and additional disabilities. They offer campus-based services as well as national specialist services. They also have an equine therapy centre. They have a reading service which transcribes school books for visually impaired children. They also have a library service. 

They share educational resources, and have also prepared this guide on Entitlements for Blind, Visually Impaired and Disabled Persons.

Chime supports Deaf and Hard of Hearing people living in Ireland. It has a Children and Families' Team, as well as support for teenagers and young adults. Find your local Chime centre.  

The website covers a broad range of subjects: social welfare, employment rights, buying a home, moving abroad, education and much more. See their Checklist for Carers pages as well as their Checklist for people with disabilities and long-term illness

Citizens Information Booklet: Guide to entitlements for people with disabilities

Crosscare provides homeless, housing, and welfare support. It also runs youth-led programmes for young people from the ages of 10 to 24. Its Information & Advocacy Service supports people with low or no income, Irish emigrants, migrants into Ireland, refugees, and asylum seekers. Crosscare also has a website called Crosscare Youth Information aimed at young people aged 15-25 years.

Cystic Fibrosis Ireland (CFI) gives advice and information to members on any issue relating to Cystic Fibrosis. It has an advocacy service. It also gives exercise, transplant and fertility grants. It shares regular information updates on new treatments and developments in Cystic Fibrosis, through its website and quarterly newsletter ‘Spectrum’. See its information for new parents in the Resources section of the website, as well as its Benefits and State Supports page and its Grants and Support services page. 

The Daughters of Charity Child and Family Service (DoCCFS) has a range of therapeutic supportive services for children and families in Dublin. Their Family Centre Service gives a free and flexible service to families including individual sessions, parenting, family and group work, home visits, outreach and a drop-in facility. See their full list of services and how to make a referral to them. 

DESSA is a charity that delivers training, advocacy and information support services to individuals and families with lived experience of disability and to organisations supporting them. DESSA runs the Empowering Parents Programme for the parents of disabled children and young people. It aims to support parents to advocate on behalf of their children, in particular in relation to accessing education and health services supports.

Down Syndrome Ireland offers ‘all-through-life’ supports to people with Down Syndrome with specialists in the areas of health, speech and language, early development, education and adult education and independence. Down Syndrome Ireland has 25 branches nationwide.

Dyslexia Ireland works with and for people affected by dyslexia, by providing information, offering appropriate support services, engaging in advocacy, and raising awareness of dyslexia.

Dyspraxia/DCD Ireland delivers supports and services to young people and adults with dyspraxia/Developmental Coordination Disorder (DCD) and their families and supporters.

They also work with professionals like teachers, psychologists, occupational therapists, mental health professionals, and employers who support people with dyspraxia/DCD.

They offer a range of services to support people with epilepsy and their families. You'll find the details for the Dublin, Wicklow and Kildare Community Resource Officers here. As part of their work, the Community Resource Officers raise awareness of epilepsy through their information events. You'll find the full list of events organised by Epilepsy Ireland here.

Their Family Support Service includes: Social Work; Crisis Intervention; One to One Counselling; Advocacy; the Parent Plus Programme; and Housing & Accommodation Advice and Support. Exchange House Ireland is also the main provider of Youth Services to the Traveller Community in Dublin. 

Family Carers Ireland offers a range of supports to the 500,000+ carers across Ireland. They also run events. These are a mix of in-person and online events. They also have Support Offices around the country. 

Membership is €20 a year (free for carers under the age of 24). The Family Carers Ireland (FCI) membership card gives you access to over 100 discounts and offers. You'll also receive a quarterly newsletter on their free supports and services. 

They have also prepared a Booklet on Family Carer Rights and Entitlements

The Family Resource Centre (FRC) programme is Ireland’s largest National Family and Community-based support programme. There are 121 Family Resource Centres across Ireland. Find your local centre and the supports it offers. Supports can vary from childcare to advocacy to parenting programmes and counselling to advocacy and supporting the development of new local community groups. 

Grow Mental Health is a charity providing free, community-based peer support groups for anyone who is a experiencing a mental health issue. You can learn more about their service and support groups through their FAQs section. See their Events section for information on upcoming talks and courses. 

Heart Children offers practical help and support for all individuals and families affected by congenital heart disease. Services include setting up local groups, financial assistance, publications, and special events for children.

The Hidden Disabilities Sunflower is a simple tool for you to voluntarily share that you have a disability or condition that may not be immediately apparent – and that you may need a helping hand, understanding, or more time in shops, at work, on transport, or in public spaces. 

See the list of over 900 non-visible disabilities, chronic illnesses and health conditions that Sunflower wearers live with

You can purchase a lanyard here.

Use this map on the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower site to find sunflower-friendly places in Ireland and beyond. 

iCAN provides support and information on best care for those affected by Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis (JIA). iCAN offers help through its online support network, family days out and information days. iCAN has prepared this Children's Book on Juvenile Arthritis. See also its page on its support network for teenagers. 

Inclusion Ireland is the national association for people with an intellectual disability. It campaigns for changes in services and legislation that will improve the quality of life and participation of people with an intellectual disability in Ireland. Its Connect Family Network map lists over 100 national and local intellectual disability support groups, nine of which are in the CHO7 area. 

This website is useful for families whose child has been given a diagnosis, and for those who have a concern about a possible diagnosis of a disability. They cover topics such as: learning your child has a disability; telling others about your child's disability; information about the professionals you may meet; getting advice about searching for health information on the Internet and learning about Entitlements and Benefits that you and your family may be able to access. The website also provides translations of these pages in Irish, French, Lithuanian, Polish, Brazilian Portuguese, Finnish, Romanian, and Russian. 

The Irish Wheelchair Association operates community centres with day services, member transport, training, holidays, outings, school leaver activities and outreach programmes through 58 full and part-time community centres around Ireland. The IWA have a county-by-county list of their services and supports.

Jack & Jill is a nationwide charity providing in-home nursing care and respite support for children up to the age of 6 with severe to profound cognitive delay. This may include children with brain injury, genetic diagnosis, cerebral palsy, and undiagnosed conditions. See their FAQs (frequently asked questions) which explain how the charity can support families. 

Jigsaw provides free, confidential, brief mental health supports for young people aged 12-25 in Ireland. Their Support section details their in-person services. To access their in-person services, check if Jigsaw has a service in your area. Jigsaw also provide online support. They also have an information section for parents and guardians. 

Laura Lynn provides specialist palliative and supportive care services for children with life limiting conditions and their families. It runs Hazel House, which provides respite care to children with severe/profound intellectual disability and complex care needs. Learn more about their respite service and its referral process. 

Little People of Ireland (LPI) is the national charity for people with dwarfism-related conditions. It promotes awareness and understanding of the various conditions. It also provides environmental, educational and occupational guidance and advice.

Living Well is a free programme run by the HSE. It is suitable for anyone who is: living with one or more long-term health conditions, or caring for someone with a long-term health condition. It is not suitable for people with significant memory or learning difficulties.

It runs in person or online for six weeks. If there isn't a workshop running in your area, you can apply to attend another series of workshops. 

Lámh is the organisation that develops, promotes and maintains 'Lámh', the manual or 'key word' system of signs used by people with intellectual disabilities or communication needs in Ireland. Read about its benefits as a communication tool. Read about the training provided by the organisation. 

Men's Aid is a service for men who are experiencing domestic violence and coercive control. It has a National Helpline (01 554 3811) which is available Monday to Friday, 9am to 5pm. Men’s Aid provides one-to-one in-person counselling support. Counselling currently takes place in Navan, Co. Meath where they are based. Their monthly peer support group also meets in Navan. 

The Middletown Centre for Autism promotes best practice in the education of children and young people with autism throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. The Centre provides training, research, learning support and assessment and advice to parents, family members and educational professionals. It also hosts an annual conference on the latest research and practical supports which is open to autistic people, family members, educators, researchers and professionals to attend. You can access their online resources via their homepage - these resources include a Teenage Resource, a Building Capacity Resource, and a Sensory Processing Resource. 

The Money Advice and Budgeting Service (MABS) is the State’s money advice service. The service is free of charge. 

MABS offers impartial advice to help you manage your money, including this page on how to increase your income and check your social welfare entitlements. MABS offers support online, over the phone and face to face.

Find your local MABS office

Muscular Dystrophy Ireland (MDI) gives information and support to people with neuromuscular conditions and their families. MDI has a Family Support Service, and Youth Service. 

The NCSE’s service is delivered through a national network of Special Educational Needs Organisers (SENOs). They work with parents and schools and liaise with the HSE in providing resources to support children with special educational needs. Their FAQs page explains more about their service. 

Information on how to contact your local SENO is shared here, along with the contact person for each school in the country.

See also their Online Resources for parents which is divided out as follows: early years, primary school, post-primary school, special class/school. 

The National Disability Authority (NDA) is the independent statutory body that provides information and advice to the Government on policy and practice relevant to the lives of persons with disabilities.

The National Parents Council (NPC) is a representative organisation for parents of children in education. The NPC Helpline  is a confidential service for parents. It can be contacted from 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday, on: 01 8874477, or by emailing: helpline@npc.ie. The NPC provides training, development and support for parents, including this series of information leaflets. 

One Family is Ireland’s national organisation for one-parent families. One Family has a helpline: 0818 662212.  It has a Resources and Supports Section which includes information on parenting supports, early years parenting when separated, and parent wellbeing. It has created this Budget 2025 Factsheet. It also has a children's booklist which features books covering the themes of separation/divorce, diverse families, loss/bereavement, adoption/fostering, and blended/step-families. 

Parenting Support provides local information on parenting supports and services in Kildare and Wicklow. They list local events and courses. They also list local supports and resources for parents. 

Parentline is a national, confidential helpline that offers parents support, information and guidance on all aspects of being a parent and any parenting issues. It’s a free service that does not require any referral.

Pieta provide free counselling to those with suicidal ideation, those engaging in self-harm, and those bereaved by suicide. It can be accessed free of charge and without a referral by calling 0818 111 126. Therapy is available nationally by phone, video and in person in 23 locations around the country. It offers a 24/7 Crisis Helpline and Text Service (freephone 1800 247 247, or text 'Help' to 51444).

Pobal runs the AIM (Access and Inclusion Model) programme. It is a model of supports designed to ensure that children with disabilities can access the ECCE (Early Childhood Care and Education) programme. It provides a range of supports from level 1 to level 7, moving from universal to targeted supports. The AIM application process for each new pre-school year opens in May of that year. See the FAQs section of the AIM website for further information. 

Rare Diseases Ireland (RDI) is the national alliance for rare disease patient organisations in Ireland. It works across all rare diseases to improve the lives of the estimated 300,000 people living with rare diseases in Ireland.

Samaritans offers emotional support 24/7, 365 days a year, to anyone who is in distress, lonely, struggling to cope or feeling suicidal. You can Contact the Samaritans in several ways: by free phone (116 123), by email (jo@samaritans.ie). 

Shine is the only national mental health organisation founded to support all family members. Their teams provide a range of services to support individuals with lived experience of mental health challenges and their families and supporters. Shine provides phone and email support, individual support to people and families, peer support groups, and recovery education. 

Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia Ireland is the official organisation set up and run by Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia families, patients and volunteers to raise awareness and support of Sickle Cell and Thalassaemia in Ireland. It does this through educational workshops, seminars, media, printed information, promoting genetic screening and encouraging public policy change.

SBHI has thousands of members nationwide consisting of those with spina bifida and/or hydrocephalus, their parents, siblings, family, friends and carers. SBHI offer a Family Support Service, as well as Education and Training and a Recreation and Respite Service.

spunout is Ireland’s youth information and support platform. It shares factual information on mental health and wellbeing. Its aim is to support young people to be informed, feel empowered and heard. Its website has sections on Mental Health, Health and Wellbeing and LGBTI+. It offers a free 24/7 text service called Text About It. It is a safe space for young people to share anonymously (Text HELLO to 50808 to start a conversation). It also runs a Youth Information Chat from 4-8pm, Monday to Friday (excluding bank holidays). 

The Stepping Up website was created to help young people prepare to move to adult healthcare.

The Transition Stages will guide you from starting to think about moving to adult services, right through to making the move. The  Transition Guide will help you prepare. A range of other useful information, personal stories, and checklists will help you know what to expect, and how to find support. 

This free programme by the HSE was developed for anyone feeling they need some support in stress management. The programme does offer free online courses from time to time. You can access free resources. You can upgrade your membership for a cost. Access to resources under paid membership is for 12 months then. 

S.O.F.T is a voluntary group providing support for families of children born with Patau’s Syndrome (Trisomy 13), Edwards’ Syndrome (Trisomy 18) and related chromosomal disorders. It provides information to families, as well as putting them in contact with each other. It funds home and family support, respite assistance, and bereavement counselling. It organises family gatherings and professional speakers and also links in with S.O.F.T organisations worldwide. 

SWAN Ireland is a new Irish support group for people and families who have or whose child/children have a syndrome with no known diagnosis.

SWAN UK defines 'SWAN' as when a person is believed to have a genetic condition, where genetic testing was unable to identify the cause. Some children with SWAN might be described as presenting with 'global developmental delay' or 'failure to thrive'.

Read more about the group. 

The ISPCC operates Teenline, a national active listening service for children and young people up to the age of 18 in Ireland. Teenline can be contacted 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, by calling 1800 833 634. The service is free to contact and is confidential, non-directive and non-judgmental.

This is a community-based counselling service for the Traveller community. The service works from a culturally inclusive framework which respects Traveller culture, identity, values and norms and works from a perspective of culture centred counselling and psychotherapy. You'll find the locations where the counsellors are based here. 

Treoir provide a free, confidential, specialist information service for parents not married to each other, living together or apart, their extended families, and those working with them. Information is available on Legal, Social Welfare, and Parenting issues. See their Information Section here. See also their series of animation videos which provide information on Custody and Access, Guardianship Rights, Unmarried Fathers information and Child Maintenance. See also their Groups Section, which shares information on the different family members who might be caring for a child, or supporting the care of that child, such as Cohabiting Parents, Grandparents, Shared Parenting and Kinship Carers. 

This service provides free online counselling and online support groups for young people aged 12 to 17 and adults. You can read more about the services in its FAQs. You can also see details of their online support groups, which you can filter by ages 12-14 years, 15-17 years, and adults. See their Information Section for posts on mental health, family, loss and grief, communication, confidence, self-image and other topics.

Túsla is the State agency responsible for improving wellbeing and outcomes for children. It focuses on child protection and welfare, educational welfare, early years services, family and locally-based community supports, and domestic, sexual and gender-based violence services. Find the name and contact details for your local Child and Family Support Network (CFSN) Coordinator. The Coordinator relevant to your area will be able to help you get the support you need. See also the Parenting 24seven section which shares key messages on what works best for children and families at different ages and stages.

Unique is charity working to support a global network of families and individuals affected by a rare chromosome or genetic disorder. It can help you understand more about your child's disorder and match you with families for support. You can read their free Rare Chromosome and Genetic Booklets here. See also their Glossary of genetic /genomic terms. 

Variety runs a Recycle Mobility Programme that focuses on promoting access to upcycled specially adapted trikes, for children who cannot use conventional bicycles. This initiative offers inclusion to children of different abilities, and as the trikes are pre-loved, making it also environmentally friendly.  Their Heart of Learning Programme provides upcycled iPads to schools and individuals who might need additional support in their learning. See their application page here for more information on both programmes.

Vision Ireland is Ireland’s national sight loss agency. They work with children and adults across the country through a range of programmes, all designed to ensure the individual can live life confidently and independently.

Their Children and Young Person’s services supports the development and independence of children and young people, from recent diagnosis up to third-level education. 

Women’s Aid works to prevent and address the impact of domestic violence and abuse including coercive control. It helpline (1800 341 900) is available 24/7. Helpline support is available in 240 languages and is always free. It also has an Instant Messaging Support Service. In the Greater Dublin area, it also provides a One-to-one service – you book an appointment through the helpline; Court Support; and Maternity Outreach Service.

Find support services local to you.