Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
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Question 1023: To ask the Minister for Health, further to Parliamentary Question No. 696 of 21 July 2011, when a reply will issue from the Health Service Executive. [24180/11]

Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour)
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After making further enquiries on the issues raised by the Deputy, my Department has received the following information from the HSE:

Since its formation in January 2005 the following Mental Health assets have been sold by the Health Service Executive:

30 Mount Pleasant Square, Dublin 3

Adare House, 227 North Circular Road, Dublin 1

Verville Retreat, Clontarf

49&60 The Grey Square, Portrane

Land at St. Loman's, Mullingar

Land at St. Sennan's, Wexford

Lands at Letterkenny

The total value of these sales amounts to €12,155,532.

The sale agreement for the lands at St Loman's is that payment will be made in 3 individual tranches of €1.157m in 2010, 2011 and 2012. The 2010 payment has been received and is included in the above total.

In 2009 the Department of Finance agreed that the proceeds of sales of all surplus assets may be reinvested in priority Mental Health projects. In 2009 €25m of additional capital funding was allocated from the proceeds of the sale of assets from 2005 to 2009 previously returned to the exchequer. In the 2010 letter of sanction the HSE was permitted to reinvest the proceeds of the sale of all surplus assets (up to a ceiling of €50m) in the Mental Health Investment Programme. Similarly in 2011 reinvestment up to a ceiling of €15m is permitted.

*Projected

As can be seen from the table above the HSE's investment in Mental Health projects is well in excess of the funding generated from the sale of assets and the HSE is committed to this investment programme.

Mental Health projects being progressed at present include:

· Letterkenny Acute MH Unit – under construction

· Beaumont Acute MH Unit – contractor appointed

· Limerick Acute MH Unit – tenders received

· Cork Child & Adolescent Residential Unit – operational

· Galway Child & Adolescent Residential Unit – operational

· St Vincent's Fairview Child & Adolescent Residential Unit – Phase 2 at tender stage

· Clonmel MH Residential Unit – under construction

· Wexford MH Residential Unit – under construction

· St Loman's Mullingar MH Residential Unit – awaiting Planning Permission

· Ballinasloe MH Residential Unit – operational

· Inchicore MH PCC – under construction

· Ballyfermot MH PCC – under construction

· MH Hostels in Wexford, Tipperary, Galway and Dublin are being progressed