James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 617: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the revised programme for Government commitment to progress the transfer of the Central Mental Hospital to a new site; the site to which it will be transferred; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39123/09]

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 but none of the work undertaken to date has been site specific. 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 but the twenty acre site at Thornton Hall is not large enough to allow for these additional developments. Neither of the units would be viable as a stand alone facility and they should be co-located with the CMH. Moreover, the construction of these additional units at a location separate to the CMH would incur increased capital and revenue costs. In these circumstances and in the context of the commitment in the Revised Programme for Government, the question of the relocation of the CMH to an alternative site is currently under consideration.

James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)
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Question 618: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the details of the revised programme for Government commitment to use the proceeds of the sale of older assets in the mental health area to fund new capital developments for mental health; the amount of funding for same; if she will use the proceeds of all future sale assets to fund mental health services; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39124/09]

John Moloney (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)
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One of the key priorities for mental health in the Revised Programme for Government, is the use of the proceeds of the sale of psychiatric lands to fund new mental health capital developments. This commitment reflects the recommendation in 'A Vision for Change' the Report of the Expert Group on Mental Health Policy, that a plan to bring about the closure of all psychiatric hospitals should be drawn up and implemented and that the resources released by these closures should be re-invested in the mental health service.

The HSE has disposed of a small number of psychiatric properties in recent years and the proceeds of these sales, which amount to just over €42m, have been surrendered to the Exchequer. A submission detailing the priority projects to be funded from these historic disposals has been received from the HSE. Discussions are ongoing between my Department and the Department of Finance with a view to the re-voting of these funds for approved projects and for the use of funds generated by future sales for investment in mental health infrastructure, in line with 'A Vision for Change.'