A south Dublin hospital with 12 acres of land has been gifted to the State, with plans to build a new 125-bed facility for older people on the site.
Leopardstown Park Hospital in Foxrock was established under a charitable trust in 1917 after Gertrude Frances Dunning donated the house and lands to provide care for soldiers injured in service of the British forces during the first World War.
The hospital began admitting non-military patients in the 1970s and is now a service provider for older people.
After obtaining approval from the Charities Regulator, the Leopardstown Park Hospital Trust formally transferred the hospital buildings and 12 acres of land to the HSE earlier this year.
It is understood the State had to cover the legal and professional fees involved in the transfer.
The entire site is almost 22 acres, and the charity plans to sell the other 9.6 acres to a developer.
The trust says this land has the capacity for 600 new homes and is beside the green line Luas Central Park stop.
“The existing mature woodlands offer the opportunity to establish a new pocket public park, opening up this valuable amenity to the local community for the first time,” the trust said in a statement.
“Opportunities also exist to restore a protected structure as a vibrant community hub and to provide a range of new local services and amenities for existing and future residents.”
The trust says it will use the proceeds of this sale to continue its work assisting ex-military veterans across the country.
The HSE secured planning permission for a new 125-bed healthcare facility on the site in January, consisting of more than 9,000sq m (96,875sq ft) of floor area.
Some buildings in the existing hospital, which are in need of modernisation, will be demolished and others will be refurbished and linked up with the new building.
Leopardstown Park House itself, a protected structure, will not be changed.
The facility, which will be owned and operated by the HSE, will provide residential and day-care services for older people, including rehabilitation, respite and supported living.
Almost 5,000 new trees will be planted on the site to mitigate the removal of 39 existing trees, and the relocation of five existing orchard trees into woodland, the planning file shows.
“The trust is proud to transfer the hospital and land to the HSE,” Larry Walsh, chair of Leopardstown Park Hospital Trust, said in a statement.
“The trust’s donation of the hospital and the surrounding 12 acres will enable the development of a modern, state-of-the-art healthcare facility to care for elderly people long into the future.”
The HSE has been contacted for comment.