Beacon Group plans women's and children's hospital

A leading private medical group has announced plans to build a new women's, children's and maternity hospital in south Dublin.

The Beacon Group is planning to construct the 160-bed facility alongside its existing hospital in the Sandyford area.

The new hospital, if approved by the planning authorities, will have the capacity to deal with 3,000 births every year.

The Beacon Group says it hopes to have the facility up and running within two and a half years.