Yesterday the Taoiseach was asked about the Baggot Street Hospital, which is an iconic State-owned building in our city centre that has scandalously been left to fall into dereliction. Councillor Dermot Lacey and I have been raising the need for it to be given new life and given over to housing for years. I have heard of a private joke in one Department regarding robust campaigning by Labour representatives on it. I have been told for years the Government would examine the use of Baggot Street Hospital. What has happened now? The HSE has placed it on the open market, with no offer being made to the Land Development Agency or the Department of housing. We understand they never even took the initiative to assess the viability of the building for housing. The Taoiseach shrugged off the issue yesterday, but it is very serious. I have been seeking a statement on this from the LDA, Department of housing, HSE and Department of Health and nothing has been forthcoming. Government TDs in the area are concerned about this. What is happening with Baggot Street Hospital? Why is it not being repurposed for housing?

Again, I can ask the Minister to talk in more detail with the Deputy, but there is no sense, by the way, that it is the holy grail in terms of housing options. There could be significant issues with converting it to housing units or apartments. There may be lot of issues with building; I am surmising. It is a 200-year-old building and the Deputy knows all that. The HSE clearly did not find a use for it, notwithstanding the fact it provides a wide range of services to the community. I will ask the Minister for housing to give the Deputy any background on that she requires.