The Minister for Health has secured Government approval for the New National Maternity Hospital (NMH) at the St Vincent’s University Hospital Campus at Elm Park, Dublin, to proceed to construction. This approval enables the appointment of John Sisk & Son (Sisk) as main contractor and Designer Group as reserved specialist contractor for mechanical and electrical works.

The Government’s approval will enable the HSE to proceed through Approval Gate 3 of the Infrastructure Guidelines and to award contracts in the coming weeks. This marks a significant milestone in the delivery of one of the most important healthcare infrastructure projects in the history of the State to enhance the lived experience, safety and clinical outcomes for women, babies and their families.

Announcing the decision, the Minister for Health said: “Today’s decision by Government marks a major milestone in the delivery of the new National Maternity Hospital and the most significant investment in women’s healthcare infrastructure in the history of the State.

“The new National Maternity Hospital will provide state-of-the-art maternity, neonatal and gynaecological services in a purpose-built facility located alongside the specialist and acute services of St Vincent’s University Hospital. This co-location will ensure that women and newborn babies, particularly those with complex clinical needs, have immediate access to the highest levels of specialist care when required.

“This project is a vital part of the Government’s commitment to expanding healthcare capacity, improving patient experience and ensuring that women and babies receive care in facilities that reflect the excellence of our healthcare professionals.”

The new National Maternity Hospital will provide advanced maternity, neonatal and women’s healthcare services for Dublin and the South-East, while also serving as a national tertiary referral centre for the most complex maternity cases from across the country. It will also be a major centre for gynaecological services, fertility services, and endometriosis care.

This will mean faster access to emergency and critical care; safer management of complex pregnancies and births; reduced transfers between hospitals; improved infection prevention, privacy and inpatient conditions; and better integration of maternity, neonatal and adult specialist care.

Professor Jennifer Walsh, Master of The NMH, said: “This is an important step forward in realising our goal of providing women and babies with a new National Maternity Hospital at Elm Park. In addition to providing maternity care, The NMH cares for women across every stage of reproductive and gynaecological health, supporting them through the many different stages of life.

“The new hospital is designed to provide modern, state-of-the-art clinical facilities in which to provide world-class care. Importantly, it will also give our patients the privacy, space and dignity they expect and deserve. For our dedicated staff, it will allow them to work in facilities designed to meet the needs of modern healthcare. While the development is progressing, The NMH at Holles Street will continue to provide the excellent care for women and babies that we have for generations.”

Anne O’Connor, HSE CEO said: “Over 7,000 babies were born at The NMH in 2025. There were more than 128,000 outpatient attendances and over 1,300 babies were cared for in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit. The quality of care delivered at the Hospital is of the highest standard despite infrastructural constraints, restricted number of patient beds and outdated facilities.”

Ms O’Connor added: “I want to acknowledge and thank colleagues from The National Maternity Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital Group, the HSE and the Department of Health for their commitment and expertise that has brought this project to this point.”

The Minister noted that the €1.861 billion (excluding VAT) approved budget has been developed in accordance with the Infrastructure Guidelines and international best practice and reflects a high-confidence funding requirement incorporating quantified project risks, inflation provisions and contingency allowances.

The Minister added: “The collaborative approach developed through the procurement process and Pre-Construction Services Agreement has established a strong foundation for delivery. I welcome the appointment of John Sisk & Son and Designer Group. Their expertise and experience in delivering complex healthcare facilities will be invaluable as we move into the main construction phase.

“I look forward to seeing main construction commencing in the new year. Most importantly, I look forward to the delivery of a world-class maternity hospital that will serve women, babies and families for generations to come.”

The new National Maternity Hospital (NMH) has been designed around the needs of women, babies and families, providing safer, more timely and better integrated care throughout pregnancy, birth and the different stages of women’s reproductive and gynaecological health. Purpose-built clinical facilities, increased capacity and immediate access to specialist services will support earlier intervention, safer management of complex cases and improved outcomes for women and newborn babies.

The new hospital will also transform the experience of care by providing greater privacy, dignity and comfort, with modern single-room accommodation and spaces that better support partners and families. By bringing maternity, neonatal, gynaecological, critical care and other specialist services together on one campus, the new hospital will reduce the need for transfers, strengthen continuity of care and ensure that women and babies can access the right expertise when they need it most.

The new NMH will be a seven-storey building, over 54,000 m2 with direct links to adult critical care and other facilities provided by St Vincent’s University Hospital. The new NMH will have capacity for 10,000 births each year.

It will have,

• Over 54,000m2 total gross floor area (twice the size of the existing Holles Street hospital).

• 244 beds in single occupancy en-suite rooms.

• Five operating theatres.

• 24 birthing rooms.

• Early pregnancy foetal assessment and ultrasound facilities.

• Direct access from the maternity hospital theatres and high dependency unit to theatres and Intensive Care Uunit (ICU) at St Vincent’s University Hospital.

• Increased facilities for colposcopy, ambulatory gynaecology and urogynaecology services.

• Dedicated urodynamics room for the study and treatment of bladder incontinence.

• Embedded ‘soft spots’ to allow for future expansion of key clinical areas.

• Facilities to support a range of maternity, gynaecological, and neonatal services, including:

• Specialist menopause service.

• Endometriosis service.

• Urodynamics services.

• A regional fertility hub.

• Assisted reproduction therapy laboratory.

• Training and education spaces for healthcare professionals.

• Designed to support delivery of services between The National Maternity Hospital and St Vincent’s University Hospital including laboratories, sterile services and patient and staff catering.

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