Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
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I wish to raise the issue of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum in Dublin 16. I first raised this issue with the former Minister of State, Deputy Helen McEntee, in the context of a wider debate on mental health and before she moved on from Department of Health. I raise it this morning for a more parochial reason, namely, that there is considerable concern in the local area about the future not only of the hospital and the activities within it but the site on which it is located. The Central Mental Hospital has been located in Dundrum for more than 150 years. It sits on a 34-acre site with an immediate local population of just over 12,500 people. I am aware that it is in the ownership of the Office of Public Works.We have a number of questions relating to the future of the hospital and what will happen. Those questions relate to the timing of the departure. The hospital and its activities are due to move to St. Ita's Hospital in Portrane in north county Dublin, however, the dates for an expected move have shifted a number of times due to various planning concerns and concerns over construction times, so could the Minister of State elaborate on when the hospital is due to move or give us an earlier estimation if possible?

When the hospital does move, that leaves this 34-acre site in the middle of a very populous area up for grabs. The Minister of State is substituting for the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, this morning but I know it is of particular interest to the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government. What is the future for this large site in the heart of peri-urban and suburban Dublin? First and foremost, the site, which is covered by my forming stamping ground of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, is zoned for institutional use but there is an allowance for an element of residential use. There were a number of local protests during the summer from a certain fringe group that wanted the entire site to be converted to social housing - estimated at up to 1,200 units. I would imagine that this would be quite large and go against the whole idea of balanced housing strategy but I would like to hear the Minister of State's personal insight if that was possible.

The future of the hospital has been up for grabs. We heard at one stage that it was a possible site for a foreign country wanting to host its ambassador's residence. We have heard that it might revert to the Irish Prison Service or stay within the HSE but, ultimately, what is needed with a large site in the middle of a well-populated area is that it opens up to the community. For over 150 years, it has been closed off to the community. Very impressive large granite walls are all most people know. I have contacted the powers that be to request a tour. It was very common under the Eastern Health Board but it has not been done recently in terms of reaching out to the community. We know about the patients who are resident in that hospital and we know a lot about the crimes they committed in the past but going forward, this is an opportunity to open it up to the community and develop it as a central part of Dundrum. A lot of people are looking to re-imagine Dundrum and we want people to know that Dundrum is far more than a shopping centre.

Damien English (Meath West, Fine Gael)
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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.

Denis O'Donovan (Fianna Fail)
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Senator Richmond might revisit the matter in the spring.

Neale Richmond (Fine Gael)
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I thank the Minister of State and commend him on his work. I asked two or three specific questions and he provided good answers to them for which I am very grateful. I ask him to pass on my regards to the Minister of State, Deputy Jim Daly, who I know is in lovely Stillorgan this morning so he cannot be here. I appreciate the engagement.