The new unit was officially opened on April 21st 2026 by the Minister of State with responsibility for Public Health, Wellbeing and the National Drugs Strategy, Jennifer Murnane O’Connor TD.
The new five-bed unit will provide short-term, medically supervised detoxification programmes, primarily for people experiencing cocaine and alcohol dependency. It is designed to support those who are unable to stop using substances independently but do not require acute hospital admission.
The development comes amid sustained pressure on addiction services nationally, with Health Research Board data* showing continued growth in treatment demand and cocaine among the most commonly reported drugs in new cases.
Waiting times for detox services remain a significant challenge, with parliamentary responses indicating delays of up to nine months in some cases within the public system. Figures from the Rutland Centre also reflect a shift in the profile of addiction, with 77 per cent of clients presenting with two or more addictions, alongside a marked increase in cocaine use among those seeking treatment.
Speaking at the launch, Minister O’Connor said the expansion of services reflected the need for earlier and more accessible intervention.
“Addiction presents in increasingly complex ways, and it is important that services continue to evolve to meet that need. Expanding access to a clinically supported detox facility allows more people to engage with treatment at an earlier stage and improves the pathway into recovery,” she said.
Unlike hospital-based detox services, the Rutland programme operates in a residential setting, with 24-hour nursing care and GP oversight. It is intended as an initial step in a broader treatment pathway rather than a standalone intervention.
According to the centre, individuals seeking admission to abstinence-based residential treatment programmes, both at The Rutland Centre and elsewhere, often struggle to become alcohol or drug free on their own. As a result, many can become caught in cycles of unsuccessful admission attempts and, over time, may disengage from services altogether.
The Rutland Centre’s detox service is designed to medically stabilise individuals and provide a safe, supported pathway into the wider recovery continuum. Delivered in a non-hospital setting and co-located with the centre’s residential service, it enables continuity of care as clients progress through treatment. The centre also noted that structured inpatient detox for cocaine dependency remains limited in Ireland, despite rising demand.
Maebh Mullany, Chief Executive of the Rutland Centre, said the service was developed in response to this need.
“We are seeing a cohort of people who are motivated to engage with treatment but are unable to do so without additional clinical support. This service allows them to remain within the system and continue their recovery journey,”.
The centre noted a growing number of contacts from families seeking support for loved ones struggling to access appropriate addiction services and said the detox service was established in direct response to this need.
A family member of a recent service user said access to detox had been a turning point.
“After more than 20 years of addiction, my husband had been through treatment before, but when he relapsed in 2023, we found ourselves back at square one — only this time, with even more complex health needs and very few options available to us. We encountered long waiting lists and a lack of services able to support him safely, and it felt like we were running out of time.
“When The Rutland Centre opened its detox beds, it gave us a lifeline. It provided a safe, medically supported way for him to stabilise and move back into treatment, something we simply couldn’t access elsewhere. I truly believe he would not be alive today without that service. Detox is not just one part of recovery, it is the critical first step, and without it, people fall through the cracks.”
The Rutland Centre, which has been providing addiction treatment services for over 50 years, offers residential, outpatient and aftercare programmes.
The new detox unit represents an important first step in expanding access to care, with the organisation continuing to assess how services can evolve to meet growing and increasingly complex demand.