Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I am delighted to hear the Minister say he is going to visit the NRH. I really think it would be helpful. It would add impetus if he could visit in the next few months, although I know that he is a busy Minister. I have two issues. We know that the congregation that owns this property is a signatory to an indemnity scheme under the Residential Institutions Redress Board and has offered lands. It is one of a number of religious orders that made offers of lands under the Conference of Religious of Ireland and an agreement was signed by its superior general, of which I have a copy on my desk. I ask the Minister to raise with this congregation its moral obligations to surrender or hand over lands to the State as per an agreement with the State. This is a very important issue.

I do not believe it is right or proper that any land surrounding this hospital is sold. The Minister clearly identified in his own report to us that all we are talking about is a new 120 replacement bed ward. There is no additional capacity being provided. There is a suggestion locally that some of this land may be up for sale. That leads me to my final point. I ask the Minister to investigate a trust that was established in the early 1960s, under this religious congregation and the health authorities, in terms of its commitment. Within the kernel of that trust and the commitments under the Residential Institutions Redress Board, I think the Minister will find that there are opportunities for the State and for the hospital and, ultimately, to have a state-of-the-facility that will not cost the State as much as the Minister might think.