Programme Documents & Resources

The National Renal Office presents the prevalence data for end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) treated by either dialysis or kidney transplantation in Ireland and delivered by the HSE, as recorded by the National Kidney Disease Clinical Patient Management System (KDCPMS) at the end of the year 31 December 2024.

In line with international experience, the number of patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and in particular with end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) necessitating Kidney replacement treatment by either dialysis or kidney transplantation in Ireland is steadily increasing.

Summary of Kidney Disease Clinical Patient Management System (KDCPMS)

On the 31/12/2024, the KDCPMS data analysis revealed that the number of patients requiring treatment by dialysis or kidney transplantation increased to 5,404 (5,337 adults and 67 children).

The number of adult patients requiring treatment in 2024 increased by 147 patients or 2.7% compared to 2023 (72 additional transplant patients and 75 additional dialysis patients). The number of children requiring treatment remained unchanged.

This is greater than the average yearly increase in patient numbers over the past decade (typically 125).

Adult Prevalence

In-Centre Haemodialysis

January 2024 - 2,191
January 2025 - 2,232

Home Dialysis Including PD

January 2024 - 294
January 2025 - 328

All Dialysis

January 2024 - 2,485
January 2025 - 2,560

Kidney Transplant

January 2024 - 2,705
January 2025 - 2,777

End Stage Kidney Disease

January 2024 - 5,190
January 2025 - 5,337

The total number of patients in Ireland living with a kidney transplant at the end 2024 stood at 2,823 (2,777 adults & 46 Children) or 52% of the ESKD population.

The National Kidney Transplant Programme reported 175 kidney transplants in 2024: (Down 16 compared to 2023), with 30 of these provided by living donors. However, the number of patients alive with a kidney transplant at the start of 2025 only increased by 68 patients, due to kidney transplant failure, relocation abroad and sadly in some cases patient deaths. The decrease in the number of transplanted children attending CHI (N=4) primarily reflects transfers to adult care

At the end of 2024, 2,560 adult patients were treated by dialysis in a haemodialysis centre (87%) or their own home (13%).

The HSE delivered over 470,000 dialysis treatments in 2024:

360,000 of these treatments were delivered in in-centre haemodialysis treatments to adult patients in one of the 24 centres nationally.
The number of adult patients receiving in-centre haemodialysis at the end of 2024 stands at 2,232 (1,492 treated in HSE hospital-based dialysis units, 740 in HSE contracted dialysis units) representing an increase of 41 patients.

More than 110,000 home dialysis therapy treatments were delivered in Ireland in 2024.

The number of patients carrying out dialysis treatment in their home is at the highest ever in Ireland at 344 patients (328 adults and 16 children) an increase of 34 adults and 5 children.

The introduction of a Modernised Care Pathway for home dialysis treatment has been a factor in this expansion and enabled a shared care governance protocol for:

Galway University Hospital - shared care for 2 patients with Letterkenny University Hospital
Tallaght University Hospital - shared care for 17 patients with Midland Regional Hospital Tullamore and for 7 patients with St James Hospital

Over 51,000 hospital visits were avoided by home dialysis therapy in 2024 with an estimated saving to the HSE in excess of €10 million per annum.

The number of children receiving haemodialysis decreased by one in 2024 while the number of children on peritoneal dialysis has increased by five.