Charlie O'Connor (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 202: To ask the Minister for Health and Children her plans for the future of the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28875/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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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 in these circumstances, all of the issues involved are currently being considered.