asked the Minister for Health if he will state what his Department proposes to do with Santry Court; and also, the amount expended on the work carried out prior to the abandonment of the site for a sanatorium.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Santry Court.
Santry Court was acquired from the Joint Committee of Management of Grangegorman Mental Hospital for the purpose of the establishment of a sanatorium. As it is not now proposed to use it for that purpose, the joint committee has requested that the estate be transferred back to it.
The question of complying with the mental hospital committee's request is being sympathetically considered.
Expenditure on site development and maintenance to the date of the abandonment of the site totalled £19,950 approximately.
Will the Minister seek alternative accommodation?
Oh, yes.
What alternative accommodation has the Minister in mind?
I am not in a position to say that yet. We are negotiating for two sites, one of which we can get, but the one we consider preferable we have not yet got.
Can the Minister give us any indication now as to when he would hope to have the sanatorium available for those waiting to get into it?
We should have a reply about the site we are keen on within a couple of weeks.
How long will it take to build the sanatorium?
There will not be a very long delay as a result of departing from the Santry Court site. We expect that the plans that already have been prepared will be almost adaptable.
Can the Minister give an approximate date as to when the sanatorium will be available?
It will be some years.
What happened the site at Lucan on which the Department originally intended building?
I think the site the Deputy refers to was acquired by the Dublin Corporation.
Can the Minister say whether, if the site is returned to the corporation, they will receive compensation for the building that was burned?
That is a separate question.
It has already cost us £25,000.
In view of the unsuitability of the site, will the Minister consider giving it back to the Grangegorman authorities?
That is under consideration.