Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 17 January 2024
830. Deputy Francis Noel Duffy asked the Minister for Housing, Local Government and Heritage his Department's plans for the vacant HSE-owned former St Finan's Psychiatric Hospital in Killarney, Kerry; if it will be used for the development of affordable homes; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1671/24]
View answerI understand that St. Finan's Hospital site in Killarney, Co Kerry is in HSE ownership.
It is open to the HSE to engage with the Local Authority or the Land Development Agency (LDA) to deliver on the housing potential of any vacant or underutilised state land.
I am informed that, to date, the site has not been offered to the LDA by the HSE for consideration as a potential site to develop for residential housing and that the LDA have no current plans for the site.
Any proposed disposal of relevant public lands must be offered first to the LDA for consideration of the delivery of housing. As relevant public land, at least 50% of any homes delivered on the site must be made available for affordable housing delivery, in addition to Part V requirements applying to the site.
I note that the LDA are actively developing large scale schemes of affordable and social homes on State lands in other areas of the South West. For example, construction work is underway at the former St Kevin's Hospital site in Cork City, where 265 new homes are to be delivered. The LDA has also recently announced plans to develop up to 600 social and affordable homes on the site of the former St. Josephs Hospital in Limerick.
