Ireland

Brief screening in Irish practice commonly includes the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), and specialist services may add fuller neuropsychological assessment. HSE guidance on suspected dementia in hospital refers to formal cognitive testing such as MMSE or MoCA, while Irish memory clinics also provide specialist neuropsychology services. For local validation, the MMSE has been translated and validated in bilingual older patients in Ireland, and locally derived Irish norms improved its screening accuracy; there are also reliability data for both MMSE and MoCA from a representative Irish older-adult sample.

CT, MRI and PET are used in the assessment of Alzheimer’s disease in Ireland. The HSE states that brain imaging may include CT, MRI or PET to exclude other causes of cognitive impairment and identify changes consistent with Alzheimer’s disease. CT and MRI are widely available, and GPs have direct access to community CT and MRI services through approved providers. PET imaging is available only through specialist services and is not included in the HSE GP community diagnostics programme. Irish consensus guidance recommends MRI as the preferred structural imaging modality, with CT used when MRI is unavailable or contraindicated. Fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG)-PET and amyloid PET are reserved for selected patients with atypical presentations or persistent diagnostic uncertainty following standard clinical assessment, while tau-PET is not currently available clinically in Ireland.

Diagnostic genetic testing for Alzheimer’s disease in Ireland is reserved for specific clinical scenarios and is accessed via specialist neurology or geriatric referrals to clinical genetics services.

CSF biomarkers are the most established biological tests in Ireland. An Irish working group recommends CSF Aβ42, Aβ40, p-tau181 and t-tau as first-line biomarker testing in specialist clinics when a biological diagnosis is being pursued, and says CSF is more accessible and scalable than PET. Tallaght University Hospital’s neurochemistry service also describes CSF biomarkers as supportive diagnostic markers for Alzheimer’s disease in people with early cognitive impairment, with specimens sent nationally to its laboratory. Blood biomarkers are newer and still emerging: the HSE reported in February 2026 that p-tau217 and GFAP blood tests were not yet clinically available, although TUH expected p-tau217 to enter specialist memory services later in 2026. By June 2026, TUH had launched a National Alzheimer’s Biomarker Programme to validate blood testing, so blood biomarkers in Ireland should still be viewed as developing rather than routine.

Ireland has an extensive network of specialist memory clinics operating under the HSE Dementia Model of Care, providing multidisciplinary assessment, diagnosis and post-diagnostic support. Memory clinics are located across all HSE health regions, including Dublin, Cork, Galway, Limerick, Waterford, Sligo, Letterkenny, Kilkenny, Wexford and many other counties, with a national directory listing dozens of services.

The HSE and the Alzheimer Society of Ireland provide dementia advisers, memory technology resource rooms, Alzheimer Cafés, home support, respite services and more than 50 dementia-specific day centres distributed across the country. A national mapping exercise identified 63 dementia-specific day-care services, although their capacity and frequency of operation vary, and geographical inequalities remain. Around 18% of people with dementia live more than 15 km from their nearest dementia day centre, indicating that access is generally good but remains more limited in some rural areas

Ireland has a comprehensive nationwide palliative care system delivered through the HSE, voluntary hospices and specialist community teams. Specialist palliative care is available in every region through hospital-based teams, community specialist palliative care services, inpatient hospices and home-based care, with the HSE listing almost 50 specialist palliative care services nationwide. Although these services are not dementia-specific, national dementia policy promotes palliative and end-of-life care for people with advanced dementia, with care delivered through community teams, nursing homes, hospitals and hospices according to individual needs.

In Ireland, the cost of Alzheimer’s disease treatment is primarily borne by the HSE through the public healthcare system. GP and specialist consultations, and approved Alzheimer’s disease medicines are publicly funded, although the extent of patient payment depends on eligibility. People who hold a Medical Card receive consultations and prescribed medicines free of charge, subject only to the Drugs Payment Scheme (DPS) prescription charge where applicable. People without a Medical Card may pay for GP visits and medicines, but under the Drugs Payment Scheme, the amount any household pays for approved medicines is capped at €80 per month (2025), with the HSE covering additional eligible medicine costs.

While there is no Alzheimer’s disease-specific caregiver allowance, eligible full-time caregivers may receive Carer’s Allowance (means-tested), Carer’s Benefit (insurance-based for those leaving employment to provide care), and the Carer’s Support Grant, an annual payment available to eligible full-time caregivers. These schemes are available regardless of the underlying condition, provided the person with Alzheimer’s disease requires full-time care and the eligibility criteria are met.

For those requiring permanent residential care, the Nursing Homes Support Scheme—also known as the Fair Deal scheme—provides financial assistance by covering the balance of long-term care costs after the patient contributes based on their assessed income and assets. Furthermore, families paying out-of-pocket for private homecare can claim state tax relief on these expenses to make caregiving more manageable.

In addition to government support, The Alzheimer Society of Ireland and Family Carers Ireland provide dementia advisers, carer education, support groups, counselling, helplines, benefits advice, respite information, and advocacy. These organisations do not generally provide direct financial payments but play a central role in helping caregivers access statutory support, navigate health and social care services, and develop caregiving skills.

Ireland published its National Dementia Strategy in 2014. The strategy aims to enable people living with dementia to live well for as long as possible through person-centred, integrated care and support. Its core priorities include raising public awareness, promoting timely diagnosis and post-diagnostic support, improving integrated health and social care, supporting family carers, developing dementia-friendly communities, strengthening workforce education and training, and enhancing research, information systems, and service planning.

Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have made important contributions to understanding how systemic inflammation accelerates Alzheimer’s disease progression. Their work demonstrated that inflammatory events outside the brain amplify neuroinflammation through IL-1β-mediated activation of astrocytes, leading to neuronal dysfunction and worsening cognitive decline. This research provides a mechanistic basis for targeting neuroinflammation as a disease-modifying strategy rather than treating amyloid pathology alone.

A major current focus in Ireland is identifying blood biomarkers that predict how quickly Alzheimer’s disease will progress. Researchers at the Tallaght Institute of Memory and Cognition and Trinity College Dublin analysed participants from the multinational NILVAD study and found that plasma phosphorylated tau (p-tau217) and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) predict faster cognitive and functional decline. These biomarkers may help identify patients most likely to benefit from emerging disease-modifying therapies.