Planning permission for a new modern forensic mental health facility in Portrane, to replace the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum together with associated new facilities, was granted in June 2015. Site preparation works were undertaken by the HSE during 2016.
Phase 1 comprises a new 170 single bed National Forensic Mental Service facility. This includes a 130 bed main hospital, as well as a co-located 10 bed Forensic Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit, and a 30 bed Intensive Care Rehabilitation Unit. Construction on Phase I commenced in June 2017, and this is progressing satisfactorily. The new facilities will open in 2020, following Equipping and Commissioning stages.
Phase 2 of the National Forensic Mental Health capital project envisages the provision of new regional Intensive Care Rehabilitation Units. It is intended that these will be prioritised within the HSE capital programme over the medium term. As the HSE has carried out some preliminary work on these proposals to-date, I have asked the Executive to respond directly to the Deputy in relation to the detail of these.