Work commences on National Convention Centre

Construction begins today on the National Convention Centre in West Dublin, which is to be significantly larger than the Government's proposed National Conference Centre.

The €50m Jim Mansfield project will seat up to 16,000 delegates and is due for completion some time after March next year.

It competes with the Government's National Conference Centre which will have an eighth of its capacity at 2,000 seats and is not expected to be built for another four years.

The Government advertised last week for submissions to construct the centre.

Mansfield also plans to fund an extension to the Luas line to Citywest that could cost up to €20m.