Funds from land sales

The Department of Health and the Department of Finance have failed to state how much, if anything, has been raised from the sale of psychiatric lands and buildings since A Vision For Change was published in January 2006.
Irish Medical Times asked the Department of Health a number of specific questions about psychiatric property sold since January 2006.

These were: How much money has been raised in this way since January 2006? How much of this was surrendered to the Department of Finance? How much of this was then reclaimed from the Exchequer in order to fund developments in the mental health sector? If not all of this money has been reclaimed, why is this and has it been allocated elsewhere?
The last three questions were also submitted to the Department of Finance. However, neither department answered those specific questions.
Nonetheless, the Department of Health did answer two other questions and it stated that A Vision For Change has been adopted by Government as the basis for the future development of mental health services. It also said that the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, informed the Health Service Executive that it cannot divert capital or development funds in 2008 in order to meet spending pressures relating to core health services.
It added: “A comprehensive programme for the valuation and sale of mental health facilities is currently in progress, with a view to selling a number of properties in the next two years. All revenues raised from these sales will be directed towards improving mental health services.”
The Department of Finance said specific questions relating to mental health lands would have to be submitted to the Department of Health and the Health Service Executive. However, the Department of Finance revealed that in 2006, the HSE surrendered €56.297 million to the Exchequer following disposal of surplus assets and in 2007, the figure was €15.16 million. However, these figures related to the disposal of all surplus assets and not just ones relating to the psychiatric sector.