Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 13 January 2026
2168. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Health the national reporting requirements approved by her Department for waiting times in publicly funded addiction services; the reason a comprehensive national waiting-time dataset is not currently available; and the timeline for introducing full national reporting of assessment and treatment waiting times. [74399/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraA key strategic priority of the National Drugs Strategy is to enhance access to, and delivery of, drugs services in the community. Demand for and access to services has increased during the period of the current strategy.The National Drug Treatment [Reporting] System is the national surveillance system that records and reports on cases of drug and alcohol treatment in Ireland. It is compiled annually to provide information on treatment demand and provides important data to allow services to deliver what is required. Data published in the 2024 National Drug Treatment Reporting System (NDTRS) by the Health Research Board (HRB) shows that there was a record figure of 13,295 cases treated for problem drug use in 2024. This continues the upward trend in treatment cases and demonstrates the impact of the National Drugs Strategy in enhancing access to drug services, with an increase of 50% in cases since the strategy began in 2017.
The cases reported in the NDTRS are from a record number of 456 drug services, these services are available throughout the country and can be found on an online interactive [map] on [www.drugsandalcohol.ie]. The map lists services for different types of drugs, age groups, location, and treatment provided.
I have provided a letter at the following link detailing how the HSE monitors performance and activity in relation to HSE addiction services. Further information on these KPIs is available in the HSE national service plan 2026.
