Patients at state-of-the-art hospital urged to wear warm clothes due to heating system faults

The brand-new Central Mental Hospital opened at Portrane, north Dublin, in November 2022 at a cost of more than €200m. File picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

Patients at Ireland’s state-of-the-art forensic mental health hospital are being advised to wear extra-warm clothing, and are being provided with more bedding at night because of renewed faults with the high-tech heating system.

The heating failure — which also knocks out the hot water — has been continuing since last Thursday and comes as warnings are being issued of wintry weather from this Thursday and over the weekend.

The brand-new Central Mental Hospital opened at Portrane, north Dublin, in November 2022 at a cost of more than €200m.

Described by the Government at the time as a “state-of-the-art, purpose-built facility”, it boasts a natural gas combined heat and power plant, a central energy centre with a “natural gas-fired medium temperature heating system”, as well as a heat recovery system.

The Government said the facility would provide care for 130 residents, and had capacity to cater for 170 people.

Due to constraints, including difficulties in attracting psychiatric nurses, it currently has an operating capacity of 112.

The current heating problem is just the latest the hospital has had with the system, with previous media reports highlighting issues in November 2022, when staff and patients moved there, and significant issues during early 2023 and into 2024.

It is understood that up to five of the nine accommodation units — three high-support and two medium-support — may be affected.

Met Éireann is warning of a cold snap hitting the country Thursday night, reaching as low as -3C, with wintry conditions on Friday and “very cold” weather on Saturday with the possibility of snow.

Interim measures

The Irish Examiner understands that large industrial air-blow heaters have been rented to blast heat into the units.

Notices were circulated at the facility informing people that “reduced heating capacity is affecting the High Secure Units (HSU), Medium Secure Units (MSU), Village Centre, and the Reception Building”. 

It said that, based on the “necessary risk assessment”, the hospital staff were setting up electric industrial heaters in affected areas to ensure room temperatures are “as comfortable [as possible] under the circumstances”.

The notification points out that the heating system provides “a hot water supply to the hospital” and that this has been affected also.

In response, it said it had “turned on the immersion” to ensure there is a hot water supply. It asked staff and patients to bear in mind that “when the immersion is depleted, it may take a couple of hours for the hot water to heat back up”.

Management also advised patients and staff: “Individuals in the affected areas are encouraged to wear warm clothing over the next week and to not open windows unnecessarily, to prevent any heat loss.”

It said the hospital was making every effort to resolve the heating issue.

Patients at the Central Mental Hospital are admitted under either the Mental Health Act 2001 or the Criminal Law (Insanity) Act 2006, where courts have decided a person is unfit to stand trial or has been found not guilty of an offence by reason of insanity.

• Cormac O'Keefe is Security Correspondent.