New Central Mental Hospital will be 'full' for men just months after it opens

The new and expanded Central Mental Hospital in Portrane, north Dublin, will be full for male patients by next year, just months after it formally opens in November.

The campus, described by the HSE as the “largest single mental health project ever”, had a construction budget of around €170m, though there are unconfirmed reports the final cost may be in the region of €220m. While due to be completed by the end of 2019, it has suffered a succession of delays, mainly due to Covid, but also as a result of industrial relations disputes.

The facility, when fully operational, will have 170 beds, compared to the 96-102 beds in the current Central Mental Hospital (CMH) in Dundrum. But the report of the Government’s High Level Task Force on mental health and addiction said modelling estimates by the CMH found that the new centre will be full to males by next year.

“Under different scenarios, in males, bed capacity will be exceeded in 2023 if the current pattern of admissions from prison, approved centres and as a result of NGRI [not-guilty by reason of insanity] is maintained,” the task force said in its report.

“This trend will continue up to 2026 and result in increasing waiting lists for CMH admission.”

The increase in NGRI cases, and the longer length of time these people stay, has meant that fewer beds are available for prison admissions. Figures show prison admissions have dropped from 54 in 2013 to 15 in 2019.

The report concluded: 

“In Ireland, the male bed capacity of the new CMH will be exceeded in 2023 if the expectations relating to the required level of admissions are met.”

It called for the building of a long-term medium secure facility to house up to 42 people. It recommended its design should begin “at the earliest opportunity”.

It said the CMH was “unable” to meet in full its legal obligations.

Responding, the HSE said the National Forensic Mental Health Service (NFMHS) Portrane was a new “state-of-the-art” facility, providing therapeutic care for up to 170 patients, as well as community and prison in-reach services.

“While the Dundrum site has a capacity of 96 patients, the move to Portrane will increase the current capacity to 110 beds initially with a further expansion to 130 beds to occur in 2023,” it said.

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The HSE said the opening of the intensive rehabilitation care units in Portrane (30 beds) is also due to progress in 2023 and said this development would inform the rollout of a number of other facilities nationally.

Patrick Bergin, head of service in NFMHS, said: “The ongoing capacity issues in Central Mental Hospital are of great concern to the HSE and following the implementation of the National Policy, ‘A Vision for Change’ the new facility was constructed to address these capacity issues.

“CMH is to move to the purpose-built state facility on 32 acres in November 2022. The new hospital is a major achievement in the development of mental health services and forensic mental health in Ireland.”