Holles Street hospital site to be handed over to State after relocation

Construction of the National Maternity Hospital on a new site at St Vincent's hospital will be completed by 2018, according to the Master of the hospital, Dr Rhona Mahony.

Dr Mahony described the five-year timeframe for completion of the €150 million project as "realistic" and said building was expected to start in late 2016. Once the new structure is ready, it is planned that the hospital will cede ownership of its current building at Holles Street to the State. Dr Mahony said the facade of the historic hospital, which is mentioned in Ulysses, was a protected structure.

The site on which the new hospital will be located is owned by the St Vincent's Health Group, which is controlled by the Sisters of Charity, a spokesman for the hospital confirmed last night. He was unable to throw any further light on the transfer arrangements and referred queries to the Department of Health. It is understood that the land is being provided free.

Dr Mahony said agreements would be drawn up to safeguard the State’s interest when the hospital was transferred. The hospital would be strongly represented in the governance structures of the new Dublin East hospital group but would retain its own identity as a separate facility.

She said there were no plans to change the governance arrangements of the National Maternity Hospital.