Sale of mental health lands yields just €6m
Six properties or lands were sold from January 2005 to 2011 in Dublin, Portrane, Mullingar, Wexford and Letterkenny, yielding €5.8m, which was returned to the Exchequer.
Controversy over the sale of mental health properties arose after it was discovered that extensive lands were sold, but the money was not being reinvested in the mental health services.
In 2006, the reform plan A Vision for Change said there was “considerable equity” in buildings and lands within the mental health system, which could be realised to fund it.
In 2009, the HSE made a number of submissions to the Department of Health requesting approval to invest the historical proceeds of the sale of lands into the services.
A budget allocation of €25m was received to fund development projects.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Siobhán Barry said it has become almost impossible to sell such assets as the market has changed so dramatically.
Dr Barry co-authored a report in 2008 which found that lands had been sold or given away at significant under-valuations.
“It is difficult to determine accountability for this systematic shedding of assets. Land and asset site development plans have been carried out, the results of which are concealed, and are not made available to mental health service providers or users,” the report said.
“There is a practice of obfuscation and non-transparency around these decisions and no known accountability chain.”
The HSE still owns many old psychiatric hospitals and landbanks, such as St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane, which it cannot sell, but for which plans were drawn up.
