There are no dedicated full-time hospices for terminally- ill children in Ireland.
Palliative care for children is usually dealt with on case-by-case basis by the hospital where the child is being treated.
A spokeswoman for Temple Street Children's University Hospital said this was partly because of a prevailing culture which means parents wish their child to be at home as much as possible.
"Parents are usually very keen to keep the child at home as much as possible," she said.
The Jack and Jill foundation, based in Naas, Co Kildare, was set up specifically to help, support and advise parents with children born with severe developmental problems.
Liaison officer Sinead Moran says the problem of palliative care was one that had simply been forgotten about until recently.
"Before, there was an attitude that prevailed that these children weren't long for the world, and they weren't viewed in the same way as adults," she said.
"Recently, however, the Government has shown more interest in the field and has commissioned a study, which shows that parents are interested in respite care as well as home help.
"This would mean dedicated facilities for children to stay for a couple of weeks," says Moran.
"I think the problem is finally being recognised, and we will see a lot of development in this area," she added.