Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank Senator Richmond for raising this issue and apologise for the fact that the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, could not be here to take it because, as the Senator knows, he is interested in this following on from the work of the previous Minister of State, Deputy McEntee. The development of all aspects of mental health, including the national forensic mental health service delivered by the Central Mental Hospital, remains a priority for the Government. Opened in 1850, the Central Mental Hospital was the one of the world's first facilities to balance the needs of a therapeutic care environment in a secure setting. Although currently in use, it has been obvious for some time that this Victorian building is not suitable for 21st-century mental health care. Therefore, in accordance with the Government's commitment to implement A Vision for Change, we prioritised this year significant capital funding to provide a modern forensic mental health complex at St. Ita's Hospital in Portrane. The new facilities recently commenced construction and are due to become operational in 2020. That is the most up-to-date position.

The Central Mental Hospital admits patients from both the prison service and mental health approved centres. In order to meet increasing demands, a unit within the hospital has been refurbished to provide an additional ten beds for those referred primarily under section 21(2) of the Mental Health Act. The HSE is currently in discussions with nursing unions via the Workplace Relations Commission regarding opening this unit as quickly as possible. Managing the competing priorities of all those who have been assessed as requiring admission is being done on the basis of assessed clinical need and is monitored on a weekly basis by the Central Mental Hospital. In addition, the national forensic mental health service provides prison in-reach clinics at Cloverhill, Mountjoy and the Dóchas Centre along with Wheatfield, Midlands, Portlaoise, Castlerea and Arbour Hill prisons.

Following the signing of a contract in June 2017, construction of the new 170-bed national forensic mental health complex started at Portrane. The new national centre will provide psychiatric care in a modern and high-quality facility that rivals the best abroad. The new 120-bed national forensic mental health hospital at Portrane will replace the existing 93 beds at the Central Mental Hospital and will also provide a new ten-bed forensic unit for children and adolescents and a new ten-bed unit for mental health intellectual disability. In addition, the new complex will include a new 30-bed intensive care rehabilitation unit, the first of its kind in the country. Such a facility has long been called for and will help relieve pressures both on the main forensic hospital and on the prison system by enabling greater diversion of low-level offenders with mental health issues away from the justice system to appropriate mental health care. In common with the recognised excellence of the Central Mental Hospital, the new complex will augment the concept of recovery in a modern and clinical setting.

The disposal or otherwise of the site of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum cannot proceed until such time as the hospital is vacated following the completion of the new national forensic mental health service facilities at Portrane. However, I think it makes total sense, as Senator Richmond noted, for us to have this discussion and make plans for the future because 2020 is not that far away. As the Department responsible for planning, that is something on which we would be happy to engage with the Senator, no doubt through his local authority. We recognise that the Central Mental Hospital is part of the State property portfolio under the Office of Public Works, which is a State Agency of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform. It would make total sense to look at this site and, as the Senator rightly notes, involve the community in that conversation, including the needs of the Dundrum area and how they can be serviced.

Regarding housing, as the Department responsible for housing and planning, we are under a lot of pressure to deliver housing in key areas like Dublin city and the surrounding areas. We would be interested in looking at that site but delivering a development of 1,200 social housing units anywhere is not in our plans. We are very clear on this. While we are trying to tackle the housing crisis and deliver social and private housing, we do not believe the development of large-scale social housing on one site is the way to solve this. Naturally, in those decisions, one looks at the entire area and sees what the percentages are. In respect of sites that are State-owned, we are looking at mixed developments and having a mixture of social, affordable and private housing in different percentages and other services. It strikes me that this is a conversation that must be held locally and the Senator is right to approach it from a community point of view in terms of what is needed in Dundrum. That might involve some residential development but that decision would generally be up to the local authorities. In March 2017, we looked at all State-owned sites throughout the country that could be used for land. I do not think this site was included on that for housing but we have 800 sites throughout the country that we are looking at and we will bring forward plans on those sites that are suitable for housing. It could be looked at in that context. The OPW would be the main body that would own the site.