Redress scheme may scuttle handover of castle to HSE

Date Published: 01-Jun-2010

THE Sisters of Mercy’s plans to donate Lenaboy Castle (St. Anne’s) to the Health Service Executive (HSE) may not be able to proceed, it has emerged.

The Order wrote to the HSE earlier this year informing the health authority that they planned to transfer the building, a protected structure, to the HSE.

But at a meeting last week it was revealed that the nuns subsequently wrote another letter to the HSE which stated that it was no longer in a position to decide if it could donate the Taylor’s Hill building.

The nuns said the decision about the future of the property lies with the Government and the State Redress Scheme, who will ultimately choose how to distribute the properties of religious orders for compensation to abuse victims.

Cllr Catherine Connolly, who has had motions passed in the Council calling on the nuns to donate the lands to the city, said the nuns were cynically attempting to donate the castle – and not the lands – to the HSE, because the castle is protected and has limited development value.

For more on this see page 11 of this week’s Sentinel