HSE drops plans for 50-bed mental health centre in Cork village

Plans for a 50-bed mental health rehabilitation and continuing care residential mental health service on the grounds of St Stephen’s Hospital in Glanmire are no longer being pursued by the HSE.

The HSE had been working on the proposal for over two years, and as of June 2024, the cost was projected to be €64m.

An update was provided to TDs at a briefing for Oireachtas members in Ballincollig last week, where they were also told that funding has been allocated to start on a new mental health in-patient unit to serve North and East Cork.

HSE senior management announced that they are working on a proposal for a new 75-bed acute mental health service also on the grounds of St Stephen’s Hospital.

Social Democrat TD Liam Quaide explained that the site was suitable as an acute mental health site, as acute admissions are short-term, but said that the 50-bed proposal would have seen people living on the site for years in some cases.

He explained that the proposal for a longer-term facility is now being shelved.

He added that while a briefing document said that the project is now “under review”, in follow-up verbal questions, it was clear the HSE were no longer pursuing it and are instead prioritising the development of acute mental health services on site, as well as the larger elective hospital.

Mr Quaide told The Echo: “I very much welcome news that the HSE are not proceeding with plans to centralise long-term residential mental health service provision for Cork on the grounds of St Stephen’s Hospital.

“It is a more suitable site for their acute mental health service proposal, though public transport links to the hospital need to be addressed. 

"It is very important now that alternative community-integrated settings be sourced, and that there is not a reflex move to transfer people prematurely to nursing homes.”

Mr Quaide had recently written to the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission (IHREC) about the proposal, outlining concerns about the “inappropriateness” of the site.

He highlighted that the proposed five bungalows would have been located on the same campus as an elective hospital, making it a medicalised setting, and that the surrounding land is zoned for agricultural use, with the nearest shop being a service station forecourt which is 1.7km away.

Liam Herrick, IHREC chief commissioner, said in a response letter that Mr Quaide had “raised a number of important concerns regarding the proposed facility”.

He explained: “It is our expectation that any plans to establish a new health facility would be subject to an EHRIA (Equality and Human Rights Impact Assessment), in consultation with affected rights holders.”