If you live in Waterford, Wexford, Carlow, Kilkenny or South Tipperary, there is no specialist HSE adult ADHD team yet. A team has been funded and is being recruited, but it was not operating as of the HSE's latest published update in June 2026.
That makes the South East different from Limerick, Cork or parts of Dublin, where a public team exists but has a long waiting list. Here, the honest answer is that there is no dedicated public assessment route to wait for at the moment. Private assessment is the only route most people can use now.
This page sets out what the HSE has said about the South East, dated, and what you can do in the meantime. For the national picture, see our guide to adult ADHD assessment in Ireland.
The HSE's national clinical programme for adult ADHD plans 11 community-based services, each covering a set catchment area. In the South East, one team is planned for both of these health areas:
Here is what has been published, in date order:
The January 2026 reply said that "when the team is fully established the services will be offered across both" health areas. We found no later HSE update saying the team has started seeing patients.
Without a specialist team, there is no dedicated public assessment pathway in the South East. You can still talk to your GP. Your GP can still refer you to your local community mental health team if you need mental health care.
Whether a general community mental health team can assess or treat ADHD varies. In March 2026, the HSE said adult ADHD was "less commonly addressed within general adult psychiatry training" in the past. It has recommended that ADHD assessment and treatment become a required competency for trainee psychiatrists.
Once the South East team opens, the national pathway is likely to apply. Elsewhere, specialist teams are for moderate to severe ADHD, and your GP refers you through your community mental health team first. Ask your GP to check how referrals will work locally.
This is a particular gap. In August 2025, a HSE spokesperson spoke to the Medical Independent about areas with no adult ADHD service. They said "CAMHS ADHD patients needing to transition to an adult service may not be accepted". The spokesperson added that there was "some variability around the country".
If you or your child is under CAMHS in the South East, ask the team early what the plan is at 18. Ask specifically who will continue any prescription.
In January 2026, a TD asked the HSE about supports for adults in Carlow with a private diagnosis. The question noted that no public service offered medication titration or follow-up. The HSE's reply described only the planned team. It did not set out any interim arrangement.
In practice, ongoing prescribing after a private diagnosis depends on your private provider and whether your GP agrees to take it over. Our guide to private ADHD diagnosis in Ireland explains how GPs and the HSE treat private reports.
For now, this is how most adults in the South East will get assessed. We do not name or rank private clinics. These are the questions that matter, wherever you book:
Our guide to what the wait actually looks like compares public and private routes across Ireland.
You do not need a diagnosis to get support:
If you are struggling with your mental health, talk to your GP. If you are in crisis, call 112 or 999, or go to an emergency department. You can call Samaritans free on 116 123 or text 50808.
Not yet. The HSE said in January 2026 that a team for the South East was funded and being recruited. It was not among the eight established teams the HSE listed in June 2026.
The HSE's published replies do not give a base or an opening date. In March 2026 it said the remaining three national teams were "scheduled for establishment this year".
The HSE's adult ADHD teams are organised by catchment area. Ask your GP whether an out-of-area referral is possible, but the HSE has not said that it is.
A private diagnosis is a clinical opinion like any other. Whether your GP continues a prescription is your GP's decision. Ask before you book.
This page is general information, not medical advice. It describes the South East as the HSE reported it between January and June 2026. Services are changing, so check the current position with your GP before relying on it.
Proco is preparing clinician-led adult assessments in Ireland. You can read about how they will work.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Talk to your GP about your own situation.
Reviewed by: Proco Team
Last updated: November 2026