Home care waiting list hits 651 in Limerick and Clare, zero in Dublin

Elderly and vulnerable people in County Limerick and Clare face a waiting list of 651 for home care, while Dublin reports none.

The new analysis by Home & Community Care Ireland (HCCI) highlights an “Eircode lottery” in access to home support, with waiting lists ranging from zero in parts of Dublin to 651 in the Mid West.

Limerick City alone has 130 people on the list. The report, Home Support in Ireland 2025, shows 5,600 people were waiting for home care at the end of 2025, unchanged from the previous year despite a 7 % rise in delivered hours and a record €838 million budget.

HCCI attributes the disparity to a lack of mileage payments for carers, which hampers recruitment and retention in rural areas. The organisation calls for a national mileage scheme, a waiting‑list taskforce, and sustained investment to meet the needs of an ageing population.

Joseph Musgrave, CEO of HCCI, said the data confirms that where you live determines how long you wait for home care, and that record investment did not reduce the national waiting list because extra capacity was not directed to the areas of greatest need.

The body also notes that carers travel an average of 26.7 km per day between clients, completing 6.5 visits, underscoring the case for dedicated mileage support, especially in rural regions.

Source: Limerick Post. Photo: Ksenia Nechaeva / Pexels.