An alliance of health groups has called on the Government to establish a special holding company in order to get the best possible value for money from the sale of hundreds of acres of land from the country's psychiatric hospitals.
The Psychiatric Nurses' Association, Schizophrenia Ireland, Mental Health Ireland and the National Association for the Mentally Handicapped of Ireland (NAMHI) have written to the Taoiseach, Mr Ahern, seeking such a move.
The alliance fears money could be diverted to other areas of the health sector. It has suggested that a holding company could use the land value as collateral to borrow money to build long-needed, community-based mental health facilities.
The Government has yet to respond to the suggestion. However, the Minister of State for Health, Mr Tim O'Malley, said all money raised in the sale of land would be ringfenced and invested in mental health.
Health boards have identified hundreds of acres of land at 14 psychiatric hospitals which would raise hundreds of millions of euro.
A project team has been establish to prepare for the sale of land, said Mr O'Malley.
The first to be sold will be the 34-acre holding at the Central Mental Hospital in Dundrum, Dublin, which is expected to raise around €70 million.
It has also emerged that experts estimate that large tracts of land at St Ita's in Portrane, which is also due to be sold, could be worth between €300 million and €500 million.
Meanwhile, Opposition parties responded with scepticism to Government plans to sell off the land.
Fine Gael's health spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said it would mean little to patients if money to build new facilities was not matched with revenue to appoint specialist staff.
"The health sector is awash with expensive newly-built facilities which have never been opened.
"What reason do we have to believe the outcome of this capital injection would be any different?" she asked.
The Green Party's spokesman on social and family affairs, Mr Dan Boyle, said the plans would not meet the long-term requirements of the mental health sector.
"This is a typical PD approach that avoids the response appropriate to genuinely meeting the long-term requirements of the mental health services. The proposal will only lead to the return of funding problems when the proceeds of any land sales run out," said Mr Boyle.
NAMHI said it was vital that the Government put plans in place for new community facilities and services before any land was sold.
"People with mental disabilities have the right to a decent quality of life now.
"We must have plans to immediately provide better services so people who have been banished to our appalling psychiatric hospitals do not have to endure these conditions for much longer," the association said in a statement.
