THE CENTRAL Mental Hospital (CMH) will not now be built on the new prison site at Thornton Hall in north Co Dublin, the Dáil has heard.
During health question time yesterday, Minister of State for Health John Moloney said the site was too small for the redevelopment of the hospital.
The HSE had “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 20-acre site at Thornton Hall is not large enough to allow for these additional developments,” Mr Moloney told the Dáil.
He said constructing the units away from the main hospital “would incur increased capital and revenue costs”.
He was “working on” a site location but was not in a position to say where it would be. However, he had made it clear some months ago in discussions with CMH personnel “that Dundrum would not be a runner”.
Mr Moloney added that Minister for Health Mary Harney had “never made an order to me that it had to be Thornton Hall, although I was asked to proceed as quickly as possible with a new central mental hospital”.
Mr Moloney said the development was “not by way of just coming to a decision quickly, dishonestly, by a U-turn or whatever the Opposition wants to say”.
There has been strong opposition to moving the hospital from its current site in Dundrum, Dublin, from various groups including the Central Mental Hospital Carers Group, the Irish Mental Health Coalition and the Mental Health Commission.
They claim that placing the hospital on a site adjacent to a prison would stigmatise patients, distress their families and reduce opportunities for rehabilitation.
Labour Senator Brendan Ryan asked Ms Harney yesterday if the Government may change the planned location. Ms Harney said a “number of difficulties” had emerged with the Thornton Hall site following the preparation of a draft project brief and completion of cost-benefit analysis.
The Thornton Hall site was not large enough to allow for the planned additional forensic mental health units.
“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,” she said.
Asked about recent reports that the Central Mental Hospital would be moved to the St Ita’s Hospital site in Portrane, Dublin, a department spokesman said the final location was “under consideration and would in the end be a matter for Government”.
Fine Gael spokesman on Health Dr James Reilly said the Central Mental Hospital U-turn was welcome even if the Government would not admit it.
“This was widely believed to be a retrograde step which would impede rehabilitation, increase stigmatisation and isolate patients from their families.”