Good to see one of our Local Representatives, Alan Farrell TD, actually stating that the use of the railway bridge is a big issue - see the link below....it appears to me that we are being conditioned to believe that the 'partial solution' of a temporary haul road from the New Road (road to Donabate Beach from the village) is an acceptable solution. For such a development to be constructed and operated safely and without seriously impacting on the lives of local residents and visitors, the relief road is the only option (perhaps this is what FCC really want as well but funded by others. A strategically important national facility needs to be serviced by suitable infrastructure including road access. Whilst the relief road will probably have other benefits such as potentially providing safer access to St Itas FC, St Pats GAA and the Athletics club, I think it would be a two edged sword for the community if the relief road is built as who knows what FCC will do if given road access to their lands at the back of the links and over towards the New Road but on balance, in my opinion, if the NFMH is to proceed, safety and quality of life trump this risk and the relief road is the only viable option currently identified.
http://www.independent.ie/regionals/fin ... 88507.html
National Forensic Mental Hospital - Local Representatives
Very true, safety is paramount!
Would be interested to hear how our local repredentives qualify statements such as:
" The construction of the National Forensic Mental Hospital in Portrane will certainly have a positive impact in the local community and on the local economy."
When:
(a) Staff will most likely be transferred from the current facility in Dundrum, reducing the amount of new jobs created,
(b) The construction tenders for main contractors will have to be put to European Tenders and not nessasary guaranteeing local jobs,
(c) There are no financial benifit from this planning application from a planning point of view to the Fingal County Councill as this project was submitted to An Bord Plaenala as a Strategic Infrastructure Project,
(c) As far a I am aware the Hospital is exempt from Council Levies. Will we the residents of Donabate/Portrane have to fork out money (through our property tax contributions) for the upkeep of infrastructure shared with the newly proposed Nasional forensic mental health hospital at St. Itas Portrane,
(d) Has Central Goverment approached and/or have there been any indications given as to what financial contributions will be made towards Fingal Council for the upkeep of infrastructure used by the facility (roads, drainage ect.). In the light of the above, will there be a fund established and this money trasfered towards the local Donabate/Portrane area fund explicitly for infrastructure?
Does Allan Farrel's statement not make more sense if:
The site being sold off, the rights of St. Pats and St. Ita's clubs secured to the land, the woodlands being developed as a local attraction and a hotel facilitated into the existing red brick buildings, we are after all just 15-20min from the airport!!
Would be interested to hear how our local repredentives qualify statements such as:
" The construction of the National Forensic Mental Hospital in Portrane will certainly have a positive impact in the local community and on the local economy."
When:
(a) Staff will most likely be transferred from the current facility in Dundrum, reducing the amount of new jobs created,
(b) The construction tenders for main contractors will have to be put to European Tenders and not nessasary guaranteeing local jobs,
(c) There are no financial benifit from this planning application from a planning point of view to the Fingal County Councill as this project was submitted to An Bord Plaenala as a Strategic Infrastructure Project,
(c) As far a I am aware the Hospital is exempt from Council Levies. Will we the residents of Donabate/Portrane have to fork out money (through our property tax contributions) for the upkeep of infrastructure shared with the newly proposed Nasional forensic mental health hospital at St. Itas Portrane,
(d) Has Central Goverment approached and/or have there been any indications given as to what financial contributions will be made towards Fingal Council for the upkeep of infrastructure used by the facility (roads, drainage ect.). In the light of the above, will there be a fund established and this money trasfered towards the local Donabate/Portrane area fund explicitly for infrastructure?
Does Allan Farrel's statement not make more sense if:
The site being sold off, the rights of St. Pats and St. Ita's clubs secured to the land, the woodlands being developed as a local attraction and a hotel facilitated into the existing red brick buildings, we are after all just 15-20min from the airport!!
Last edited by padraig on 02 Apr 2015, 18:43, edited 1 time in total.
Interesting that Alan Farrell only attended one meeting in the Community and then failed to turn up at many more meetings held. He never submitted a submission on the original application and made a statement to the press of his concerns but when you look at those that made submissions on the An Bord Pleanala website his party are the only ones not to have made a submissions. This is disappointing and actions speak louder than words in my opinion .
I'm quite frankly baffled by the attitude of the FG TD's. I've emailed both of them - no answer over two weeks later from one of them. The other has taken down on facebook about the submissions. Anyway not going into the politics of it all but they both have done themselves no favours in my book. A lot of the councillors have replied to my emails - it should be interesting with a GE coming up within the next 11 months what explanation our TD's have for ignoring this.
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diggerbarnes
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Pardon my ignorance but when is construction due to start? Will it coincide with the run up to the election?
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Vlad the Impaler
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I don't have much time for Alan Farrell. I think he's a bit of a chancer. Won't be getting a nod from me even if Fine Gael gets the country up and running by the next vote.
end of this year/beginning of next year as far as I know diggerbarnes. Well that's what it was quoted as at the end of last year.diggerbarnes wrote:Pardon my ignorance but when is construction due to start? Will it coincide with the run up to the election?
. Got one off me last time for my shame but definately not next time around.Vlad the Impaler wrote:I don't have much time for Alan Farrell. I think he's a bit of a chancer. Won't be getting a nod from me even if Fine Gael gets the country up and running by the next vote.
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topsyturvey
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Padraig...I agree with your points and I would point to the Clarion Hotel in Sligo as an example of what can be done with a facility like St Itas with some imagination. Check out the pictures on Google Images.
What I see is the NFMH being built and in the medium to long term, the HSE locating other units to the St Itas s campus and we end up with lots more traffic etc and not a lot of jobs for locals - a 4 star hotel would give us a leisure centre and jobs for local people.
What I see is the NFMH being built and in the medium to long term, the HSE locating other units to the St Itas s campus and we end up with lots more traffic etc and not a lot of jobs for locals - a 4 star hotel would give us a leisure centre and jobs for local people.
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Vlad the Impaler
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To be honest, I haven't given this matter much thought.
What are the main complaints people have. Is it the increased traffic while building or the hospital itself.
If the hospital itself, what are the concerns?
I have an open mind at present tbh.
What are the main complaints people have. Is it the increased traffic while building or the hospital itself.
If the hospital itself, what are the concerns?
I have an open mind at present tbh.
topsyturvey wrote:Padraig...I agree with your points and I would point to the Clarion Hotel in Sligo as an example of what can be done with a facility like St Itas with some imagination. Check out the pictures on Google Images.
What I see is the NFMH being built and in the medium to long term, the HSE locating other units to the St Itas s campus and we end up with lots more traffic etc and not a lot of jobs for locals - a 4 star hotel would give us a leisure centre and jobs for local people.
Is there an option to build a 4 * hotel instead of the new hospital?
The plan is to do nothing with the red brick buildings just leave them derelict, then I guess they will slowly disintegrate, the they will be deemed unsafe and be knocked. For any one who has never taken a walk through the hospital you really should, beautiful grade 1 listed buildings then you go around the corner and your,re looking across dublin bay to the sugar loaf. It's very pretty then you pop out at the beach.
The problem is that when you build a high security mental hospital which will house the criminally insane with resulting hhigh security , then rip out 200 yr old oak woodland, and basically flatten the entire area etc it makes it less likely a luxury hotel will locate there if the buildings were up for sale
The problem is that when you build a high security mental hospital which will house the criminally insane with resulting hhigh security , then rip out 200 yr old oak woodland, and basically flatten the entire area etc it makes it less likely a luxury hotel will locate there if the buildings were up for sale
That would be my concern also. I would like to see the old building get a new lease of life. However, if the NFMH is built there then it's very unlikely that it will be used for anything and will be left to crumble like so many of our so called protected structures.
Regards,
Ken.
Ken.
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Vlad the Impaler
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Is it a protected structure? I think the buildings are wonderful to walk around, but from a business point of view, it would cost more to re-furbush them that actually build a new complex. Damp. Insulation. electrics. Plumbing. All sorts of upgrades required.
For it to be a hotel, you;d need a) A willingness for the HSE to sell it (never going to happen as it suits their needs - out of sight out of mind in Portrane) b) an Entrepreneur who sees Portrane as a tourist destination - possible but again they would probably prefer to build something new.
For it to be a hotel, you;d need a) A willingness for the HSE to sell it (never going to happen as it suits their needs - out of sight out of mind in Portrane) b) an Entrepreneur who sees Portrane as a tourist destination - possible but again they would probably prefer to build something new.
Vlad the Impaler wrote:Is it a protected structure? I think the buildings are wonderful to walk around, but from a business point of view, it would cost more to re-furbush them that actually build a new complex. Damp. Insulation. electrics. Plumbing. All sorts of upgrades required.
For it to be a hotel, you;d need a) A willingness for the HSE to sell it (never going to happen as it suits their needs - out of sight out of mind in Portrane) b) an Entrepreneur who sees Portrane as a tourist destination - possible but again they would probably prefer to build something new.
If one could just roll back the time to 2009:
http://health.gov.ie/blog/press-release ... acilities/
"Dublin North East
Closure plans have been developed for the following Psychiatric Hospitals
St.Brendans, Grangegorman St. Ita’s, Portrane St. Brigid’s Ardee St. Davnet’s, Monaghan"
I still think the site have emence potential (just 15-20min from the airport), and the likes of a Hotel or Commercial venture would at least contribute to levies for Fingal County Council, at the moment we are looking at a 0% contribution to the roads and Infrastructure through council levies from the hospital, and we the residence will pay for the pleasure of having the NFMHSH down the road in Portrane.