THE LABOUR PARTY has called for a decision to be made on the use of the long vacant Royal City of Dublin Hospital city centre, proposing it be used as accommodation or for public service.
Labour’s Alan Kelly visited the hospital building today on behalf of the Public Accounts Committee. The Tipperary TD took photographs from inside that show the building in a state of disrepair, with parts of the ceiling exposed and holes in walls.
After seeing inside the shuttered Victorian hospital, formerly known as Baggot Street Hospital, Kelly said it was “a scandal” that a publicly owned building has been left empty for decades.
The hospital was built in 1832 and closed in 1986.
“Today I had the chance to see how bad it has got with a tour inside,” he said.
“Unfortunately the building is in a sorry state, and frankly has been allowed to deteriorate into a terrible condition. The vast majority of the site has been unused for decades, with the last services facing onto Haddington Road closing in 2019.
“It is a national disgrace,” he said, considering the country is facing housing and healthcare crises.
“Labour strongly supports the plan to deliver a primary care centre on the part of the premises facing onto Haddington road that previously served as a drug treatment and community facility.
Kelly said what really concerns him is “the lack of engagement from both the HSE and Dublin City Council housing section”, as well as other departments, about utilising the site.
“The HSE should now agree to meet with Dublin City Councillors, in particular my colleague, and local representative Cllr Dermot Lacey who has long led a campaign to put this valuable asset back into use for the people,” Kelly said.
“The building is now on the state’s register for disposal as the HSE don’t have a use for it. I believe this building must be put out for offer to other public bodies with a deadline for expressions of interest within the next 6 months. All the relevant documentation from the HSE about valuation and costing for bringing it back into use should be shared.”
The Labour Party view is that the building should remain in public use.
He said the HSE has no use for the building and it should be made available to other Government bodies.
“Considering the shortage of refugee accommodation and the large budget being spent,”Kelly said he was surprised the Department of Integration hasn’t tried to use it.
“The Taoiseach should intervene if no public body will act,” Kelly said, adding “it would be a scandal for such an asset to be sold off due to a lack of imagination”.
Labour Dublin City Councillor Dermot Lacey, who represents Ballsbridge, he has tabled a motion for next Tuesday’s Regional meeting of the HSE, asking it to issue reports provided to the PAC to Councillors.
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