Liberties businesses welcome the decision to approve planning permission for a new national children’s hospital at St James’s

Liberties businesses have welcomed the decision of An Bord Pleanála to grant permission for the new National Children’s Hospital at St James’s Hospital in Dublin 8. The announcement was made this morning (28th April) and welcomed by Catherine Heaney, Chair of the Liberties Business Forum.

“The development of the National Children’s Hospital at St James’s is a project of huge importance to Dublin 8 and its community. It will see the location of a world-class facility for paediatric services right in the heart of our community and, coupled with the renewal of the existing campus of St James Hospital, offers an unprecedented urban regeneration opportunity for the area.

Ms Heaney continued: “The Liberties Business Forum has fully supported this project and congratulates the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board on its success this morning. We commend the extensive engagement with the wider community undertaken during the design phase of this project. Furthermore, the Forum welcomes the strong commitment of the NPHDB and St James Hospital to ongoing community engagement and community gain and its intention to involve and support local businesses and services as much a possible during construction, and once the hospital is open.

“The NCH represents a €700m investment in a more positive future for The Liberties and adjoining areas, and is part of an unprecedented €1bn of public and private sector investment now taking place in the area. This is a hugely significant step forward for the area,” she added.

The decision of An Bord Pleanála now gives a green light to an ambitious project that includes the main hospital building at St James’s and satellite facilities at Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown and at Tallaght Hospital. Once completed and operational in 2020, the new hospital will double the number of employees at St James’s to 8,000, and see the Dublin 8 campus develop into the State’s largest medical cluster. Combined with the development of a Children’s Research and Innovation Centre (also permitted today) and other major improvements at St James’s Campus, such as the Mercer Institute for Successful Aging (MISA), the NCH will see the development of a vibrant Life Sciences and Medical Quarter for Dublin become a reality.

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The Liberties Business Forum established in 2014 to represent the interests of large and small businesses and stakeholders in Dublin’s historic Liberties district. The Forum works in partnership with Dublin City Council to oversee and deliver The Liberties Business Area Improvement Initiative – an initial three-year collaboration to transform the business environment of Dublin 8. For more details, contact Stephen Coyne, Coordinator, Liberties Business Forum – www.libertiesdublin.ie