FOUR years late and after public rows and protests, the country’s most advanced music college finally opened its doors for classes yesterday.

IT seemed like an impossible dream for many years but Cork School of Music is ready to open the doors to a new €60 million future.

THE Department of Education has given assurances to school management bodies that the delivery of five planned new second-level buildings will not be affected by proposed changes to the ownership of the Public Private Partnership (PPP) contracts.

CRAWFORD College of Art and Design is to undergo a €5.3 million facelift over the next two years despite seeking almost three times that amount from the Government.

CONSTRUCTION work on the €60 million Cork School of Music is to begin immediately after the contract with the Government’s private partners on the deal was agreed yesterday.

THE €60 million Cork School of Music public private partnership (PPP) contract should be finalised in weeks, according to the Department of Education.

COMPLEX negotiations on the stalled contract to build the €60 million Cork School of Music could be completed within eight weeks.

TEACHERS at Cork School of Music have told the Government the time is over for excuses about delays in work on their new €60 million facility.

HOPES have been raised that work could begin soon on the €60 million Cork School of Music with German company Hochtief taking over responsibility for the project from Jarvis, the British company involved in the original deal with the Government.

A Spanish company best known for running toll roads looked set today to acquire the owner of Luton airport in a deal worth £551m (€788m).

Hochtief AG, Germany's largest construction company, says it has signed a deal with Siemens AG to buy the facility management business of Siemens Building Technologies from January 1, 2004.

TBI, which owns Belfast International airport, has denied being in discussions about a sale of the company with Germany's building giant Hochtief.

Thirteen national and international companies and consortia have expressed an interest in providing a second terminal at Dublin airport.