A guesthouse in Co Dublin is still lying idle, four years after it failed to meet strict safety rules, a newspaper report has claimed.

Carriage House Guesthouse in Lusk was bought by the HSE for €1.69m in November 2005, according to the Irish Independent.

However, the building is now boarded up and surrounded by "unsightly overgrown weeds", while the option of "disposing of it" is currently under consideration.

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Officials at the HSE were told massive refurbishment was required to make it fit for use as a residential unit for Intellectual Disability Services, following the purchase.

However, these plans were put on hold ''following receipt of approval to proceed with the provision of a purpose built 60-bed bungalow residential scheme for patients with Intellectual Disability in St Ita's, Portrane."

Fine Gael TD James Reilly claimed Carriage House was yet another example of HSE "wastage" of taxpayers' money.

In December, the HSE was at the centre of another controversy after deciding to close the €13m, 24-bed special care detention unit at Ballydowd, Palmerstown, Co Dublin.

(NS/BMcC)