The HSE route in Dublin

Referrals go through your GP or an existing mental health team — there's no self-referral — and the HSE's criteria for adult ADHD assessment require you to be 18+, with moderate-to-severe symptoms and clear evidence of impairment in at least two areas of life. Once accepted, the process runs through multidisciplinary triage (clinical nurse specialists and consultant psychiatrists) followed by a full diagnostic evaluation.

Reported wait times vary sharply by which CHO area covers you — one published breakdown put CHO 6 (Dublin South East, Dún Laoghaire, Wicklow) at roughly 12–18 months, CHO 7 (Dublin South City, South West, West) at 18–24 months, and CHO 9 (North Dublin) at over 36 months. That's the same public pathway producing wait times three times longer depending on which side of the city you're on — worth knowing before you assume “the Dublin wait” is one number.

The private route

Private assessment in Dublin is faster, but the two usual questions still apply: is the quoted price the full process — assessment, titration and a plan for ongoing prescribing — or just the first appointment, and what happens if your GP won't take over prescribing afterwards. Shared care is always the GP's call, not guaranteed by having a private diagnosis in hand.

What to actually do

• Find out which CHO area covers your GP practice before assuming a general “Dublin wait time” — the range between areas is large.
• Ask any private provider directly what their shared-care fallback looks like, not just what the assessment costs.
• If speed and a clear all-in price (not just the first appointment) matter to you, that's exactly the gap we're exploring whether to fill.