Medical school gets go-ahead

Approval has been given for a new €16 million medical school at the University of Limerick, it was announced today.

Approval has been given for a new €16 million medical school at the University of Limerick, it was announced today.

The Taoiseach has approved the project, and Minister for Education Batt O’Keeffe has sanctioned the placing of a contract for the school, which will be part funded under the National Development Plan 2007-2013, a statement from the Taoiseach's office said.

It is understood construction of the facility will start shortly, with a target completion date of September 2010.

The building will be located within the on-campus “Health Education Village” and will set beside the existing Health Sciences Building, allowing for the sharing of physical resources and opportunities.

According to statement, the project will provide space and courses for GP training, allowing GPs to stay up to date with the latest developments in their field, and new postgraduate research programmes are expected to be developed.

The construction contract was awarded to P Elliott & Company, and it is expected up to 155 people will be employed in the building stages, the statement said.

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