HSE confirm counsellor posts at Arbour House set to be filled 

Two vacant addiction counsellor posts at Arbour House, an addiction services unit within St Finbarr’s Hospital, are to be filled early next year, the HSE have said.

As of this month, 69 people are waiting more than 12 weeks for an initial assessment at Arbour House. In 2023, Arbour House operated at full approved staffing levels across all grades, and in 2024, there was a shortfall of a 0.5 whole time equivalent general practitioner and one vacant staff grade addiction counsellor post. In 2025, this increased to two addiction counsellor posts, meaning just 11 of the 13 allocated counselling staff members were in place.

The addiction counselling team facilitate the detox programme which has seen 42 service users attend since January; the Minnesota recovery programme, attended by 37 people; the year-long dual recovery programme which has been attended by 20 people; the family recovery programme which has been attended by 43; and an opiate substitution induction programme attended by 71 people this year.

The information was provided to Independent Ireland TD Ken O’Flynn, who told The Echo: “Addiction counsellors carry complex caseloads involving detox, recovery programmes, dual diagnosis, family support, and opiate substitution pathways. Even small staffing gaps have a direct impact on assessment capacity and throughput.”

The HSE confirmed: “A campaign to replace the vacant addiction counsellor posts has been completed and offers have been made to the successful candidates who were placed on a panel in recent weeks."

Mr O’Flynn welcomed this, saying: “It should ease pressure and reduce waiting times. But this situation raises a broader issue.

“People who seek help for addiction are often doing so at a moment of real vulnerability. The system must be ready when they step forward.”