Health Minister James Reilly has given to go-ahead for The National Maternity Hospital, Holles Street  to move to the nearby St Vincent's Hospital campus, Health Minister James Reilly has announced.

A total of €150 million has been allocated for the relocation project.

The relocation of Holles Street Hospital, which is housed in an outdated building and has suffered from severe pressure on its space for many years, was proposed in the 2008 KPMG independent review of Dublin maternity services.

However, Holles Street had been pressing for a move to St Vincent's for some time before thie review was published.

Making the announcement today, Minister Reilly said co-location maternity hospitals with adult acute services is the optimal solution for the provision of hospital-based maternity services, as it can provide access to the full range of medical and surgical specialties and clinical support services in sufficient volume and complexity to provide added value.