Arbour House treatment delays due to staff shortage, Cork TD told

Challenges in the recruitment of addiction counsellors at Arbour House in St Finbarr’s Hospital have led to an average wait time of six months for an initial assessment, the HSE has said.

The information was provided to Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn, who asked the minister for health if staffing levels were adequate in Arbour House, and asked for the average waiting time for a service user to be assessed and assigned an addiction counsellor.

Arbour House provides outpatient substance and alcohol-misuse services at the hospital.

These include assessments, medical treatment, case management, individual and group programmes, harm-reduction programmes, referral to detox and treatment, a dual diagnosis programme for people with substance abuse and mental-health problems, and family support.

Mari O’Donovan, the interim head of primary care services at HSE South West, said: “There have been challenges in recent months to recruit vacant staff-grade addiction-counsellor posts. This has had an impact on the waiting times for initial assessments and assignment of addiction counsellors to service users.

“A second campaign was held in the last two weeks, and we expect to recruit at least two full-time staff-grade addiction counsellors in early Q1 2026.

“Currently, the waiting time for initial assessment is six months, but we expect this to be reduced, when the additional staff are recruited.

“Assignment of an addiction counsellor will take place within a month of initial assessment completion.”

Speaking to The Echo, Mr O’Flynn said the response “shows a service under pressure, with vacant addiction-counsellor posts and a growing waiting list during a period of rising drug harm in Cork”.

“Vulnerable people are left waiting half a year before they are even assessed,” said Mr O’Flynn.

“Cork needs a functional addiction service. Families need support in a timely way. Delays of this length lead to higher relapse rates, more emergency presentations, and more pressure on hospitals.”

He has called for an urgent plan to fill all vacant posts, restore assessment times to safe levels, and publish monthly waiting-time data for addiction services in Cork.