Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 238: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the plans to relocate the Central Mental Hospital from Dundrum to Portrane; the stage the plans are at; if Fingal County Council and local residents will be consulted at the outset before the plans are progressed further; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26229/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

In May 2006 the Government confirmed the decision to develop a new Central Mental Hospital (CMH) at Thornton Hall, County Dublin. Since then, a draft project brief has been prepared and a Cost Benefit Analysis has been completed. None of the work undertaken to date has been site specific but a number of difficulties have now emerged with the Thornton Hall site. The HSE has identified a need for an Intellectual Disability Forensic Mental Health Unit and a Child and Adolescent Forensic Mental Health Unit. Neither of these units would be viable as a stand alone facility and they should be co-located with the CMH, but the twenty acre site at Thornton Hall is not large enough to allow for these additional developments. Moreover, the construction of these additional units at a location separate to the CMH would incur increased capital and revenue costs. The planning and design process for the CMH redevelopment project will soon need to become site specific and all of the issues involved are currently being considered. The Deputy can be assured that if the Government decide to change the location of the new hospital, the HSE will, in due course, undertake a consultation exercise with stakeholders.