In 2005, a mid-term review of the National Drugs Strategy recommended that rehabilitation be adopted as the fifth pillar of the strategy. Consequently, the issue of residential treatment capacity has arisen. - In 2006, the HSE appointed an expert working group to provide a detailed analysis and overview of known current residential treatment services and to advise on the future residential requirements of those affected by drug and alcohol use.

The working group commenced work with an indepth mapping of existing inpatient detoxification and residential rehabilitation services in Ireland. Subsequently, different needs assessment models were examined and a population-based approach adopted to estimate the level of residential services required.