Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 63: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the role her Department played in informing the decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital to a green field site with the proposed new prison on the Dublin-Meath border; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4197/05]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children if her attention has been drawn to the serious concern expressed by those organisations dealing with persons with a mental illness about the decision to relocate the Central Mental Hospital to the same campus as the proposed new prison in Thorntown, County Dublin; if, in view of the belief expressed that such a move would be hugely stigmatising of those with mental illness, she will reconsider this decision; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4205/05]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to answer Questions Nos. 63 and 71 together.

In 2003, the Minister for Health and Children established a project team, chaired by the East Coast Area Health Board, to progress the redevelopment of the Central Mental Hospital. This team included representatives from the Department of Health and Children, the Eastern Regional Health Authority, the East Coast Area Health Board, the clinical director, the director of nursing and the hospital manager of the Central Mental Hospital, the Irish Prison Service and a representative of the CEOs of the other health boards. The project team's remit was to critically examine all options for the redevelopment of the hospital, to put together a design brief for the redevelopment and to examine various financing options for the project.

There were six options considered by the group as follows: to develop a new facility on a green field site in the greater Dublin area; to develop a new facility on a green field site outside the greater Dublin area; to refurbish-upgrade the existing facility to accommodate the service; partial new build of the hospital with retention and refurbishment of some of the existing building; to transfer the service to another existing facility; or "do nothing". Several options, including the option of remaining in Dundrum, were examined under the various criteria, including clinical quality-strategic fit, cost, capital and revenue, timescale, future demands, integrated services, accessibility and safety and security.

The team reported to the Department of Health and Children via the Eastern Regional Health Authority in May 2004 and recommended that the Central Mental Hospital be relocated to a new purpose built facility in the greater Dublin area, as this was judged to be the most appropriate option for delivery of patient care. The project team made no specific recommendation on locating the Central Mental Hospital adjacent to a prison. However, 97% of admissions to the hospital come from within the prison service.

The new Central Mental Hospital will be a health facility, providing a therapeutic forensic psychiatric service to the highest international standards in a state of the art building. The hospital will remain under the aegis of the Department of Health and Children and will be owned and managed by the Health Service Executive.