Minister Moloney welcomes plans to develop 20 Primary Care Centres with integrated Community Mental Health facilities

26 January 2009

The Minister of State with responsibility for Equality, Disability and Mental Health, Mr. John Moloney, T.D., today (26th January 2009) revealed plans that will see community mental health teams operating alongside primary care personnel in 20 new Primary Care Centres to be put in place by the HSE this year. Speaking at a press briefing to mark the third anniversary of the launch of ‘A Vision for Change’, the Minister welcomed the plans, saying “this alignment of the Primary Care Strategy and ‘A Vision for Change’ is both pragmatic and strategic and will benefit service users, their families and all professionals involved”.

The Minister went on “the remodelling of existing resources is essential for the development of our mental health services in line with ‘A Vision for Change’ The Government has given a commitment that funds raised by the disposal of old-style psychiatric hospitals will be reinvested in the mental health service*. The proceeds of the sales in recent years of St. Loman’s Hospital, Verville Retreat in Clontarf and two other Dublin properties amount to over €42m. This funding needs to be made available now to fund new mental health infrastructure if we are to progress ‘A Vision for Change’ in the next few years”.

Minister Moloney also noted that significant progress is being made in providing additional beds in the mental health services for children and adolescents. Four additional beds were opened in Galway in 2008; a further 14 beds in Cork and Dublin will become operational this year and construction is underway on new 20-bed units in Cork and Galway. In addition, funding is being provided in 2009 for 35 additional therapy posts for child and adolescent mental health services.

The Minister added “One of the most significant developments since 2006 is that there is increasing service user involvement in planning and delivering mental health services. Service users have a unique insight into the experience of mental ill health and I believe that this expertise is invaluable in the development of person-centred mental health services which are the cornerstone of a ‘A Vision for Change’”.

The tables below provide details of the remaining psychiatric hospitals and list the hospitals for which closure plans have been developed by the HSE.

Hospital County Built Status Remaining Residents
St Brendan’s Dublin 1814 Open 87
St Ita’s Dublin 1902 Open 131
St Loman’s Dublin 1950 Open 22
CMH Dundrum Dublin 1850 Open 83
Newcastle Wicklow 1896 Open 79 (of which 19 are in 2 hostels on the hospital campus)
St Dymphna’s Carlow 1832 Open 33
St Loman’s Westmeath 1855 Open 126
St Fintan’s Laois 1833 Open 45
St Canice’s Kilkenny 1852 Open 46 (in new buildings)
St Luke’s Tipperary 1834 Open 102
St Senan’s Wexford 1868 Open 82
St Otteran’s Waterford 1835 Open 81
Our Lady’s Cork 1852 Closed 0
St Stephens Cork 1950 Open 173
St Finan’s Kerry 1852 Open 98
St Joseph’s Limerick 1827 Open 78
Our Lady’s Clare 1868 Closed 0
St Brigids Ballinasloe 1833 Open 105
St Mary’s Castlebar 1866 Closed 0
St Patrick’s Roscommon 1940 Closed 0
St Columba’s Sligo 1855 Closed 0
St Conal’s Donegal 1866 Open 21
St Davnet’s Monaghan 1869 Open 38
St Brigid’s Louth 1935 Open 55
TOTAL 1485

Remaining psychiatric hospitals for which closure plans have been developed

HSE West

Many of the large existing psychiatric hospitals in HSE West have already been closed and patients transferred to alternative community accommodation. These include Our Lady’s Hospital in Clare, St Mary’s Hospital in Castlebar, Mental Health Services in Roscommon and the old unit at St Brigid’s Hospital in Ballinasloe. All of St Columbus Hospital in Sligo with the exception of the acute unit and the intensive care unit has also been closed. Only two wards in St Conall’s in Donegal remain to be closed and only 50 patients remain to be transferred from St Joseph’s Hospital in Limerick. The closure of St Joseph’s will be finalised through the provision of a 50 bedded CNU.

A closure plan for the remainder of St. Brigid’s Hospital has been prepared and signed off by management and unions. All long stay patients in St. Brigids have had their care plans reviewed and the most suitable placement type identified.

HSE South

Closure plans have been developed for the following Psychiatric Hospitals

St. Finan’s, Killarney
St. Stephen’s, Cork
Heatherside, Buttevant
Mount Alverna, Mallow
St. Otterans, Waterford
St. Cannice’s, Kilkenny
St. Luke’s, Clonmel,
St. Senan’s, Wexford
St. Dympna’s, Carlow

Dublin Mid Leinster

Closure plans are being considered for the following psychiatric hospitals

St. Loman’s Mullingar
Newcastle, Co Wicklow

Dublin North East

Closure plans have been developed for the following Psychiatric Hospitals

St.Brendans, Grangegorman
St. Ita’s, Portrane
St. Brigid’s Ardee
St. Davnet’s, Monaghan