The Rutland Centre in Knocklyon has warned of growing pressure on addiction services as demand rises and people seek treatment for increasingly complex and multiple addictions.
Its Annual Report 2025 shows almost two-thirds, or 64 per cent, of those admitted to its residential and outpatient programmes reported at least two addictions, while 37 per cent of that group reported three or more.
The centre provides detoxification, residential, outpatient and continuing-care services for substance and behavioural addictions.
The findings come as Health Research Board figures show 15,422 treatment cases for problem drug use, excluding alcohol, were recorded nationally in 2025.
This was an increase of 2,127, or 16 per cent, on 2024.
A further 8,798 alcohol-treatment cases were recorded, the highest annual total in nine years.
Publishing the report ahead of Budget 2027, the centre called for treatment capacity and long-term recovery supports to keep pace with demand.
Chief executive Maebh Mullany said the national data reflected the centre’s experience.
“Demand is rising and people are presenting with increasingly complex needs,” she said. “We are already operating close to capacity, and access could become more difficult unless treatment capacity keeps pace.”
Alcohol was reported as problematic by 59 per cent of admissions in 2025, other substances by 44 per cent and cocaine by 40 per cent. Gambling was cited by 15 per cent, sex or pornography by 13 per cent, and food or eating by 9 per cent. The categories overlap because clients could report more than one addiction.
Almost one in three alcohol-treatment cases recorded also involved another drug, with cocaine reported in 72 per cent of those cases.
Head of clinical services Emma Kavanagh said people rarely arrived with one issue in isolation, with addiction often accompanied by trauma, mental-health concerns and pressure within families.
“Treatment must be able to respond to the whole person rather than addressing each problem separately,” she said.
The centre reported completion rates of 98 per cent for its residential programme and 81 per cent for its outpatient programme.
It delivered 5,545 residential bed nights in 2025, representing a 16 per cent increase since 2021.