Kelly pays visit to empty “national disgrace” Baggot Street Hospital

Labour TD Alan Kelly said it was a “national disgrace” that the Baggott Street Hospital is laying dormant.

As part of the Public Accounts Committee, Kelly paid the long-abandoned hospital a visit and said it was a “national disgrace” that the building was empty during a housing crisis.

“It is a scandal that a large publicly owned building in the heart of our capital city has been left empty for decades. At a recent meeting of the Public Accounts Committee I secured a site visit to the Baggot St hospital building, and today I had the chance to see how bad it has got with a tour inside. ”

“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.”

“Questions need to be asked about why such a valuable asset has been left empty for so long when, but we have a housing and accommodation emergency, it is a national disgrace,” he said.

The former Labour leader said that his party “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.”

“What really concerns me is the lack of engagement from both the HSE and Dublin City Council housing section and other relevant Departments about utilising the main building and site.”

He pointed to the work carried out by local Labour councillor Dermot Lacey on the issue.

“The HSE should now agree to meet with Dublin City Councillors, in particular my colleague, councillor Dermot Lacey who has long led a campaign to put this valuable asset back into use for the people.”

“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 HSE don’t need it, and other service providers might want it. The Labour view is that this should remain in public use and could be used for housing, accommodation, or arts and cultural groups. The HSE has a costing of €32m to bring it back to a standard to be used, while it would be €45 million to bring it back to a clinical standard but it has no intention to do so as it has no use for it.”

He said he was “amazed” that the Land Development Agency has not done anything with the building.

“Considering the shortage of refugee accommodation and the large budget being spent, I am also surprised that the Department of Integration hasn’t tried to do anything with it,” he noted.

“This building has been on the national register for too long, and it’s now time someone used it.”

He called on Taoiseach Simon Harris to intervene.

“It would be a scandal for such an asset to be sold off due to a lack of imagination; it would also be a reward for those who have allowed it to lie empty for so long,” he added.

Lacey said he tabled a motion for an upcoming regional meeting of the HSE, and asked them to issue reports provided to the Public Accounts Committee to councillors.

“This building must be retained in public use and we need to see the valuations put on the asset.”

“I’m delighted that Alan managed to secure a visit into the building, and local councillors should now get to see firsthand how the HSE have allowed such a valuable asset to deteriorate over many years,” he said.