Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)

I will answer it. In 2003, the then Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Martin, established a project team, chaired by the East Coast Area Health Board, to progress the redevelopment of the Central Mental Hospital. This team included representatives from the Department of Health and Children, the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the East Coast Area Health Board, the clinical director, director of nursing and hospital manager of the Central Mental Hospital, the Irish Prison Service and a representative of the chief executive officers of the other health boards.

The project team's remit was to critically examine all options for the redevelopment of the hospital, to put together a design brief for the redevelopment and to examine various financing options for the project. Six options were considered by the group: to develop a new facility on a greenfield site in the greater Dublin area; to develop a new facility on a greenfield site outside the greater Dublin area; to refurbish and upgrade the existing facility to accommodate the service; to have a partial new build of the hospital with retention and refurbishment of some of the existing building; to transfer the service to another existing facility; or to do nothing.

Several options, including the option of remaining in Dundrum, were examined under the various criteria including clinical quality-strategic fit, the cost, both capital and revenue, timescale, future demands, integrated services, accessibility to the public and safety and security.

The team reported to the Department in May 2004 and recommended that the Central Mental Hospital be relocated to a new purpose-built facility in the greater Dublin area as this was judged to be the most appropriate option for delivery of patient care. The project team made no specific recommendation to locate the Central Mental Hospital adjacent to a prison. However, it must be borne in mind that 97% of admissions to the hospital come from within the prison service.

The new central mental hospital will be a health facility providing a therapeutic forensic psychiatric service to the highest international standards in a state-of-the-art building. I can confirm that the hospital will remain under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children and will be owned and managed by the Health Service Executive. I have asked my officials to examine the option of providing a separate governance structure for the hospital, by way of its own board, reflecting its importance as a national, tertiary psychiatric service. It is intended to develop the central mental hospital, independently of the prison complex to replace Mountjoy Prison, by means of a separate capital development project managed and directed by the Health Service Executive. A new central mental hospital on the 150 acre site will have its own grounds with a separate entrance, access road and a separate address to the prison complex.

The Deputy referred to stigma. Much has been said about the stigma of the mental health service. The present Government is doing more than any other Government to relieve that stigma and to help patients. We are encountering significant opposition from many unlikely quarters. I am doing everything possible, including speaking to many voluntary organisations which appreciate the work that is being done. The Central Mental Hospital has been in Dundrum since 1850. This Government is the first to consider relocating it and building a new central mental hospital. I also understand that the Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Deputy Martin, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy McDowell, and I were the first Ministers ever to visit Dundrum.

The lands of the Central Mental Hospital are the property of the Office of Public Works. My Department is preparing detailed proposals for Government for the development of a new hospital and the disposal of the property at Dundrum. It is my intention that the proceeds from the sale of the existing site will go towards the provision of the new hospital in the first instance, with the balance of funds to be invested in health facilities, in particular community mental health facilities. A memo will go to Cabinet soon in that regard.

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