Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

That is a point on which we must remain focused.

I have heard a lot of talk about Thornton Hall and Mountjoy. Those matters were a little before my time in national politics although I was always involved at local level. I do not doubt for one minute the bona fides of Senator McDowell, a former Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, nor do I doubt the passion with which he has spoken about the challenges in the justice system, especially for those suffering from mental health issues. I take on board everything he has said.

I believe the Portrane hospital will be a significant improvement. We are increasing capacity by approximately 70%, if we agree the capacity of the current hospital is 100 because there are 93 patients there currently and there were 102 last year. That capacity will rise to 170. For the fist time, there will be a 20-bed female unit. That is significant. There will also be a ten-bed child and adolescent mental health services, CAMHS, unit for forensic mental health. That is important in our country.

I believe the welfare and quality of care that will be available here will be an improvement because of the surroundings in which patients will be living. The inpatient units are centred around a series of courtyards with secure perimeter gardens. The courtyard arrangements facilitate collective activities, therapies and direct access to fresh air for patients from each ward. Each unit has internal gardens, exercise facilities and shared communal spaces for patients. Glass is used internally to create space and improve access to sunlight. There are domestic-scale buildings of a single storey and each unit has a front door. The hospital is laid out in a series of pavilion buildings around a village green or village centre. That really impressed me. The village centre includes primary healthcare facilities, sporting and exercise facilities, educational and vocational facilities, including art and woodwork rooms, and a concert hall. There are also social facilities such as a café, shop and library. There is a landscape village green area where we hope patients will be able to sit out with their families and visitors when visiting is facilitated. There is also a large horticultural area, including polytunnels and animal pens, where patients can become involved in gardening and looking after the animals. I know that 85% of all patients currently in the facility in Dundrum have come through the judicial system but we must remember that patients have ill mental health and need mental health supports.

I will return to the situation around the project. It was due to be handed over from the builder to the HSE on 18 December. That is not going to happen. A phased opening of the campus was envisaged for around mid-March 2021, following the completion of the equipping and commissioning stages. The latest update from the HSE indicates that the builder handover will occur in the first quarter of 2021 - late January or early February - with the opening pushed to the second quarter of the year, assuming no further delays.

The proposed amendment seeks to change the definition of the closure date set out in section 4. As we have said, the Bill is technical in nature and while its aims are straightforward, it is legislatively complex to achieve them.The hospital must operate without interruption during the period of its relocation. A continued lawful basis for the detention of people currently based there must be maintained throughout. The new Central Mental Hospital is at an advanced stage of construction but it has not been handed over yet. When the campus is handed over from the builder, a period of equipping, as I have said, will need to take place. Staff training must also be completed.

Relocating the Central Mental Hospital and its patients is a huge logistical operation with multiple strands. It is further complicated by the Covid-19 pandemic, which has impacted many aspects of the project. Having legislation in place in good time provides some certainty in planning for the move. The legislation grants the Minister the flexibility to set the relocation date by order and to set a closure date not less than three months after that date by order, which is important for practical reasons. It allows for the relocation day and closure day to be carefully aligned with progress of the project. This is crucial, given the logistics of a move on this scale. It allows for a carefully timed and orderly transition from the old facility to the new, controlling for any external factors that might impact on the planning dates. For these reasons, I cannot accept the amendment.