Published on Wednesday13thJanuary2016
Lynch turns the sod on new National Forensic Mental Health Hospital
Minister for Mental Health, Social Care and Primary Care Kathleen Lynch has today turned the sod on the new National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) hospital, which will be built on the site of St. Ita’s Hospital, Portrane.
When completed, this new state of the art facility will replace the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum. The construction of the new hospital is one of the Government’s priority projects in the Capital Investment Plan 2016 – 2020 and marks an important milestone on the path to providing a modern mental health service.
Speaking at today’s ceremony, Minister Lynch said,
This new hospital represents our modern approach to mental health. It symbolises this government's commitment to prioritising mental health in an open and progressive manner. This commitment has been underpinned by the allocation of €120m in the HSE Capital Programme 2016-2020 to deliver this project. This makes it the third biggest health capital project being progressed by the State in the current capital plan. In turning the sod today, we can all be assured that there is no going back on this crucial project. I would like to also pay tribute to the many people who campaigned for this state of the art facility, those who still use and work in the mental health services and their predecessors.