Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 42: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children her views on concerns expressed by Schizophrenia Ireland that when the Government's plans to sell off 200 plus acres of land occupied by 15 psychiatric hospitals is implemented that developers who buy land may buy their way out of an obligation to provide accommodation for mentally ill patients in new housing developments; the steps she intends to take to ensure same does not happen; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [21318/06]

Tim O'Malley (Limerick East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, "A Vision for Change" was launched on 24th January. This policy envisions an active, flexible and community-based mental health service where the need for hospital admission will be greatly reduced. The report recommends that steps be taken to bring about the closure of all psychiatric hospitals and to re-invest the resources released by these closures in the mental health service. The closure of large mental hospitals and the move to modern units attached to general hospitals, together with the expansion of community services, has been Government policy since the publication of Planning for the Future in 1984.

The Health Service Executive has stated that it anticipates the closure of mental hospitals and the reinvestment of the proceeds to take place on a phased basis. It has also emphasised that hospitals can only close when the clinical needs of the remaining patients have been addressed in more appropriate settings such as additional community residences, day hospitals and day centres together with a substantial increase in the number of the well-trained, fully staffed, community-based multidisciplinary Community Mental Health Teams as is recommended in "A Vision for Change".

The Deputy's question relating to the provision of accommodation for people with mental health problems in new housing developments is a matter for my colleague, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, Mr. Dick Roche, T.D.