According to the latest data from the Health Research Board (HRB), the number of people treated for problem alcohol use increased by 8% to 7,421 last year, reports RTE.
The average age at which they first started drinking was 16, while the average age of those treated was 47.
Almost half of the cases concerned the unemployed.
One in 13 is registered as homeless.
HRB senior researcher Suzy Lyons says six out of ten people drink alcohol every day, reports RTE.
She says women seeking treatment for alcohol use problems typically drink 15 standard drinks a day and prefer spirits, followed by wine.
For men, that figure is 20 typical drinks a day, but they prefer beer followed by spirits.
For polysubstance use problems reported in 25% of cases, cocaine is the most common co-drug used alongside alcohol.
Speaking to Philip Boucher-Hayes on RTÉ’s Today, Ms Lyons added that two-thirds of those who enter treatment are already dependent on alcohol when they present, making treatment more complex and the road to recovery more difficult , reports RTE.
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