Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister of State and congratulate him on his appointment. I want to raise the issue of the National Rehabilitation Hospital in Rochestown Avenue, Dún Laoghaire. I do not intend to give a history lesson but those involved and those with knowledge of this hospital will know of numerous fancy elaborate schemes to rebuild the hospital. They all fell and came to nothing. Eventually, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council was asked, in conjunction with the property owners, to rezone a substantial amount of the land for medical use. A new scheme was drafted. Now, we have An Bord Pleanála fast-tracking the plan. An Bord Pleanála finally granted permission for a substantial redevelopment of the site. This is to be welcomed.

Before I go any further I wish to acknowledge the extraordinary work of the hospital board of management, staff and practitioners. The hospital deals with brain injuries, stroke, neurological conditions and serious health issues. It should be an absolute priority for the Department of Health to have a state-of-the-art, fit-for-purpose built-and-designed national rehabilitation hospital on the island of Ireland.

I am calling on the Minister of State to keep the pressure on and reassure us that this project is now on-track despite the previous setbacks. That is important for the staff, patients and families who are tapping into the services. The services are excellent. The staff are working under difficult circumstances and conditions.

My principal concern relates to the ownership of the site. The Minister of State may not be aware but these lands became subject to an agreement with the redress scheme and the religious order in question. There is some concern that this process has not been completed and that the full transfer of these lands or the conditions of the agreement in respect of these lands entered into by the HSE and the landowners is in question. While the project is progressing, contracts are being drawn up and tendering processes are being pursued, we want to avoid a situation whereby there is an issue relating to the ownership of the site. Clearly the State cannot fund and resource a facility on lands in respect of which the title or ownership is not clear.

I call on the Minister of State to use his office to expedite this, take up the issue with the religious order in question and get reassurances. Ultimately, State investment and money is going into this project. It would be a terrible shame to have an obstacle relating to these issues at the last minute.

I am not privy to the finer detail, although I have an idea of what was going on. Anyway, whatever commitments were given and whatever the conditions, let them be carried out to the letter of the agreement in order that we can get this project under way.