Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Deputy Farrell for raising this issue for discussion. I am taking this debate on behalf of my colleague, the Minister of State, Deputy Kathleen Lynch, who is on Government business elsewhere.

The Government has provided €125 million new ring-fenced funding since 2012 to develop and modernise mental health services in line with "A Vision for Change". Along with the need to expand and enhance community-based services such as general adult teams, psychiatry of later life and child and adolescent mental health care, we have also prioritised key mental health infrastructural developments under the HSE capital programme, including the replacement of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, CMH. The provision of new facilities to replace the CMH and to otherwise enhance forensic mental health facilities nationally is a Government priority.

This project is being delivered in two phases. Phase 1 comprises core project requirements at St. Ita's Hospital, Portrane, as follows: a 120-bed national forensic hospital to replace the CMH; a new ten-bed mental health intellectual disability forensic unit; and a new ten-bed child and adolescent mental health forensic unit. Under phase 2, it is planned to provide three 30-bed intensive care rehabilitation units, ICRUs, to be located at Portrane, Galway and Cork, which are envisaged upon completion of phase 1. A fourth ICRU is intended for Mullingar, involving the conversion of an existing facility.

The HSE capital programme allows for the completion of phase 1 of the project - Portrane - with design work to be progressed only on phase 2. Phase 1 was designated in September 2014 as a strategic infrastructural development and proceeded on this basis. As is the case with the design, planning and delivery of major health capital projects, every effort is made to address all relevant issues during the construction phase in line with traffic management or other best practice issues associated with such projects.

While the project is progressing satisfactorily overall, the HSE has been conscious of the need to address various local concerns and thereby minimise future risk, such as site access and agreements with residents. These have been the subject of detailed consultations, as reflected in the HSE's submission to An Bord Pleanála. A decision is expected from An Bord Pleanála towards the end of May.

Subject to receipt of planning permission, enabling works will commence on-site shortly thereafter. Construction of this significant health capital project is expected to be finalised in early 2018, with the facility scheduled to become operational later in the year following equipping completion.

I stress that any intervention in the statutory planning process on this matter would be entirely inappropriate, as the Deputy acknowledged. The HSE will, of course, take full account of any issues arising from the expected An Bord Pleanála decision. In the wider context, all efforts should continue to deliver without undue delay the modern national mental health facility now being advanced.

See this speech in context