More than 600 Tipperary patients left waiting after memory clinic closure
Hundreds of patients with memory concerns in south Tipperary are facing indefinite delays to assessment and treatment following the closure of the region’s memory clinic due to staffing and resourcing issues.
Cashel memory clinic in St Patrick’s Hospital, closed its doors in January 2026, with no date set for its reopening. A review is currently underway, but families across south Tipperary are left with uncertainty around treatment for their family members.
Memory clinics are available for people who are worried about their memory. They can diagnose memory issues, and can give people information, treatment and advice.
The issue was raised in the Dáil by Fine Gael TD Michael Murphy, who asked junior health minister Mary Butler when the review would be complete and when the memory clinic would reopen.
Deputy Murphy said that over 600 people in south Tipperary are being left without vital care for dementia.
“The figures provided to me by the HSE are deeply concerning. There are currently 450 patients awaiting an initial assessment and a further 168 waiting for follow-up appointments. That is a total of 618 people caught up in a system that is simply not functioning,” he said.
“Dementia diagnosis is not a luxury; it is a gateway to treatment, care planning, family support and future decision-making.
Families and patients want and deserve timely access to treatment and diagnosis, the Fine Gael TD said.
Under HSE targets, there is a six week timeline for access to memory treatments, however, people in south Tipperary end up waiting longer than this due to the memory clinic’s closure.
“Patients are being left indefinitely, while GPs are being provided with information on private providers. I think that raises serious questions about equity of access,” Deputy Murphy told the Dáil.
“Will the Minister of State address the stark contrast with services available in other parts of the south east? I know the tremendous work the minister of state has done in Waterford and Wexford, both of which provide a structured multidisciplinary approach to dementia assessment and support. Why is a comparable service not available to the people of south Tipperary?
“This cannot be dismissed simply as a temporary inconvenience or an administrative issue. This is a systemic failure, in my view,” he added.
In response, Deputy Mary Butler said she was “disappointed” to see the closure of the memory clinic in Cashel.
“I was disappointed to hear that one of the 25 memory clinics that I worked so hard to open across the country after Covid had been ‘paused.’ I do not like seeing that word at all,” she said.
“The HSE has advised me that the memory clinic in Cashel has been paused since January this year due to staffing and resourcing issues.
“The HSE has approved the appointment of a full-time administrative post to support the current clinical administrative systems and allow for their further development. In addition, the current clinic staff are exploring new ways of working to address the waiting lists and resume the provision of a memory clinic service in south Tipperary,” Deputy Butler added.