John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

In May 2006 the Government confirmed the decision to develop a new Central Mental Hospital, CMH, at Thornton Hall, County Dublin. Since then, a draft project brief has been prepared and a cost-benefit analysis completed. None of the work undertaken to date has been site specific but a number of difficulties have emerged with the Thornton Hall site. The HSE has identified a need for an intellectual disability forensic mental health unit and a child and adolescent forensic mental health unit. Neither of these units would be viable as a stand-alone facility and they should be co-located with the CMH, but the 20-acre site at Thornton Hall is not large enough to allow for these additional developments.

The construction of these additional units at a location separate to the CMH would incur increased capital and revenue costs. The planning and design process for the CMH redevelopment project will soon need to become site specific and all of the issues involved are being considered. The Deputy can be assured that if the Government decides to change the location of the new hospital, the HSE will, in due course, undertake a consultation exercise with stakeholders.

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