Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome Ms McPhillips, Ms McCaffrey and all those who are joining us from another room. As a new member of the committee I look forward to working with the witnesses over the course of the Dáil term and being fair and frank when both characteristics are required.

A number of matters are in the Comptroller and Auditor General's report. The history of the Thornton Hall site is well understood and my question at this point is what happens next. Today we will see passage of legislation relating to the Central Mental Hospital and the possible provision of 1,500 homes on State land while embedding affordability into the city. Is that an option for the Thornton Hall site? Has the Department and the Prison Service decided that building a prison on the site is no longer an option?