Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

I am glad to have an opportunity to make a few brief comments on this legislation. The Social Democrats welcome the Bill and support it fully. We have been talking for a very long time about the relocation of the Central Mental Hospital from Dundrum to Portrane. It is very good that we have gotten to this point where we are about to pass legislation to provide for that relocation and to provide the legal underpinning of that very important move.

There are a few issues about which we just do not have full information, such as some of the practicalities of the move and the implications for the local Portrane area. Deputy Duncan Smith spoke about the welcome in that part of north County Dublin for this decision and the very supportive role the community has played. My colleague, Councillor Paul Mulville, has been very involved in the local community in support of the move and in putting in place all the necessary provisions to enable it to happen in a smooth and satisfactory way.

There are a few outstanding questions and it might be helpful if the Minister of State was in a position to answer them. Some local people have raised questions about issues associated with any kind of disturbance or problems with people detained in the new facility. The nearest Garda station is in Swords, which is a bit away, and people are keen to know what exact provisions are in place for liaison with local gardaí. The community liaison has been very successful to date in facilitating and teasing out all the implications of the relocation. It is important that we know if the community liaison with local residents will continue after the hospital becomes operational. It has worked very well so far during the planning stages. It would be a good move for that community liaison to continue, and I hope that is what is intended.

There is a long-running issue in respect of which we have not had adequate clarification or commitment. There was a realisation many years ago that the big mental institutions needed to be wound down. I have been in politics a long time. I was involved with the health board and made several visits to the facility, a Victorian building which was far from the ideal in the context of modern standards. Those huge institutional facilities were built around the country and housed many thousands of people. Over time, however, there was a realisation that this was not best practice by any means and that people with psychiatric problems should be catered for in the community as far as possible or if it had to be in a group setting, that it would be in smaller settings in domestic-sized houses or smaller units. It was always stated that when decisions were taken about closing any of the big institutions, the revenue raised from their sale and that of the land around them would be reinvested in mental health facilities. Many of the buildings involved were very valuable in themselves and were situated on very large and often extremely valuable tracts of land. A great deal of money has been raised over the years from the sale of these properties. What will happen to the proceeds from the sale of St. Ita's and its lands, some of which have already been disposed of? Where have the proceeds from the disposals that have already taken place gone? The earlier commitment to reinvest the funds has not be carried through fully. Will the Minister of State clarify the position in the context of the lands around St. Ita's? The Psychiatric Nurses Association, PNA, has been very vocal on this. It recognised the need to move away from the big institutions but, equally, it is keen that the money that is realised stays within mental health and psychiatric services and is invested, in its entirety, in more appropriate and modern facilities for the residents themselves but also the staff, for whom the Dickensian or Victorian conditions were equally bad.

What will happen to the old St. Ita's building in Portrane? It is an enormous building and its various parts are in different states of repair. It would require some investment. Instead of the HSE leasing many buildings across county Dublin, for example, in Balheary, Naas and other areas, could it centralise some administration in the St. Ita's building? One block has already been converted into office space. Were other parts of the complex converted and used to centralise administration, there might be significant savings compared with paying for expensive leases in other areas around Dublin. Large sums will be spent on leases for call centres. A lease is being entered into for a test-and-trace call centre at the old Eir headquarters near Heuston Station. Why not use parts of the building at Portrane to house this centre? It is important that we bring all the existing accommodation into use.

The Bill does not provide for all the regional intensive care units. Four units have been proposed, the first in Portrane, while the other three are not part of the Central Mental Hospital project. Will the Minister of State clarify the status of the other three?

Finally, I turn to technical issues. There are two spellings of the town to which I have been referring, namely, Portrane and Portraine. Will both versions continue to be used? What is the legal position on the spelling? Is clarification necessary? The Minister of State indicated that a map would be provided and laid before the Dáil. Can that map be made available now and circulated to me and anyone else who is interested? Given that we are passing the legislation, it would be reasonable to have possession of the map now. I am happy to wholeheartedly support the Bill.

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