The question I hear most often is: how much will this cost? It is a fair question. Residential addiction treatment in Ireland is expensive, and the price varies so much that it is hard to know what to expect. I have seen families shocked by quotes. I have seen people choose lower-cost options against better clinical judgment because they did not understand what they were paying for. So here is the honest breakdown.
Private residential treatment in Ireland ranges from approximately €2,250 per week at the lower end to €5,000+ per week at the premium centres. Where a centre sits on that spectrum depends on location, staffing ratios, amenities, and what is actually included in the price.
The cheapest option is not always the worst. The most expensive is not always the best. You need to understand what each price point includes.
Let us start with the middle of the market. Centres like Aiséirí and Tabor charge roughly €2,250–€2,800 per week. For this, you get residential accommodation, meals, basic counselling, and group work. The staffing ratio is lower. The facilities are functional but not luxurious. These are solid, evidence-based programmes run by experienced people. If you are looking for conventional addiction treatment—good therapy, structure, and a reliable process—these centres do it competently. The lower cost reflects economies of scale and lower overhead, not lower quality of clinical work.
RósGlas operates in a different tier. They charge around €4,000–€4,500 per week. What you are paying for here is higher staffing ratios, more individualised attention, and more sophisticated facilities. Better accommodation, better food, more clinical oversight. The programmes are still conventionally structured, but the experience is more comfortable and the client-to-staff ratio is better.
At the premium end, centres like Rutland and Smarmore Castle charge €5,000+ per week, sometimes significantly more. Rutland's quoted rate is around €12,500 for a five-week programme. What you are paying for is intensive, individualised treatment, often with multiple clinical staff per client, private accommodation, excellent facilities, and a more bespoke approach. These centres are treating people with complex presentations and substantial resources. The cost reflects that.
Where does the money go? Roughly speaking: labour costs account for 50–60 per cent of what you pay. A centre staffed with qualified therapists, psychiatrists, nurses, and support staff costs money. Accommodation and food account for 20–25 per cent. Utilities, maintenance, insurance, and administration make up the rest. Centres charging €5,000 per week are spending a significant portion of that on clinical staff. Centres charging €2,250 are not.
This is why the pricing matters. If you are getting €2,250-per-week treatment, you are getting solid, group-based work with periodic one-to-one sessions. If you are getting €4,500-per-week treatment, you are likely getting more individual attention and better accommodation. You are not necessarily getting better outcomes, depending on your needs. But you are getting a different experience.
Briar House will charge €3,200 per week for a private placement. This sits deliberately in the upper-middle tier. We are not the cheapest and we are not the most expensive. What you are paying for is a trauma-informed, body-first model with a working homestead integrated into the programme. A dedicated nutritional chef. Somatic practitioners. A smaller group size. Farm-based work as core clinical content. This costs more than a conventional programme because we are offering something structurally different.
Now, the insurance question. This is where it gets complicated because insurance coverage varies widely. VHI and Laya are the main Irish private insurers that cover addiction treatment. Both will cover residential addiction treatment, but the amount they will reimburse varies by policy and by provider. Some centres have negotiated rates with the insurers. Others do not. Some policies cover 80 per cent of approved treatment up to a certain ceiling. Others cover fixed amounts.
A rough estimate: VHI typically reimburses between €1,200 and €1,800 per week depending on the policy. Laya is similar, with some policies offering up to €2,000 per week. Irish Life Health provides some coverage but is less commonly used for addiction. If your insurance reimburses €1,500 per week and the centre costs €2,500 per week, you are paying the difference out of pocket—€1,000 per week, or €5,000 for a five-week stay.
Briar House is negotiating insurer contracts now. Our goal is to ensure that a significant portion of the fee is covered by VHI and Laya policies. We will have details on this once we open. But expect to contact your insurer before committing to treatment anywhere, because the amount they will cover is policy-specific and they need to approve the centre before treatment begins.
If you do not have private insurance, there are options. The HSE funds some residential addiction treatment, but waiting lists are long—often 3–6 months—and placement is not guaranteed. This is changing slowly. Some organisations offer sliding-scale fees based on income. Some people access treatment through workplace EAP (Employee Assistance Programmes), which may cover some or all of the cost. And some people simply save. Treatment is an investment. People do it.
A question I get asked: is the expensive treatment better? The answer is: sometimes. Premium centres often have better outcomes for complex presentations because they have more resource to work with clients individually. But a €2,250-per-week centre can produce excellent results for someone with straightforward alcohol dependence and good motivation. The outcome depends more on fit—whether the client and the programme are well-matched—than on cost alone.
What matters is that you understand what you are paying for. Get clarity on what is included: is food quality part of the package or are there additional charges? Are medications included or does the client need to provide them? How many individual sessions are included and how many group sessions? What follow-up care is included after discharge? Different centres price these differently, and it affects the real cost to you.
Be cautious of hidden costs. Some centres quote a weekly rate and then charge separately for certain therapies or for extra meals or outings. Get a full breakdown before you commit. Ask what is included and what costs extra. Ask about the insurance process and get written confirmation of what they believe your insurer will cover.
Addiction treatment is not optional when someone is in crisis. Families often find the money because the alternative is unacceptable. So the question is not whether to pay, but where to pay and what to expect. I have laid out what the market looks like. The rest depends on your circumstances and what you prioritise: cost, location, the specific model, staff qualifications, insurance coverage. Different families will make different choices. All of that is valid.