Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 285: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her views on re-evaluating present policy on asset stripping of mental health property to be re-distributed locally and targeted for specific mental health purposes; the policy in relation to asset stripping of land, bank and property belonging to the Health Service Executive; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3614/08]

Jimmy Devins (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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A Vision for Change, the report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, which was launched in January 2006, has been accepted by Government as the basis for the future development of our mental health services. The Report recommends inter alia that a plan to bring about the closure of all mental hospitals should be drawn up and implemented, and that the resources released by these closures should be protected for reinvestment in the mental health service. The Health Services Executive (HSE) has primary responsibility for implementing the recommendations of A Vision for Change.

The HSE has confirmed that progress is continuing on the closure of hospitals in accordance with the recommendations in A Vision for Change. A comprehensive programme for the valuation and sale of mental health facilities is being developed, with a view to selling a number of properties in the next two years. All revenue raised from these sales will be directed towards improving mental health services.

The Irish Psychiatric Association launched a report recently which claims that the proceeds of the sale of assets has been lost to psychiatric services over a 20-25 year period. A small number of assets which have disposed of in the last two years are identified. A Vision for Change is very clear on this issue and recommends that resources, both capital and revenue, should be retained in the mental health service, with the reconfigured mental health services having priority in their disposal. It also recommends that the full economic value of psychiatric hospital buildings and lands should be professionally assessed towards identifying appropriate future use and maximum value and benefit. The value of these assets significantly counterbalances the capital cost of the new mental health services infrastructure requirement. I have asked the HSE to provide me with a report on "The Lie of the Land" Report particularly insofar as it relates to the disposal of assets in the past two years.

The Minister for Health and Children, Deputy Mary Harney, has also made it clear to the HSE, in the context of their Service Plan for 2008, that there can be no question of diverting capital or development funds to meet expenditure pressures arising in relation to core services.