We are a step closer to the building of the new national children's hospital in Dublin. The design team has been announced for the facility.

Architect firm BDP, lead by Benedict Zucchi, will partner with Irish company O'Connell Mahon to put the plans in place for the new facility on the grounds of St James's Hospital.

The lead architect has been in charge of other children's facilities in Brighton and Liverpool.

The project will see Our Lady's Children's Hospital Crumlin, Temple Street Children's University Hospital, and the National Children's Hospital at Tallaght come under one roof on a campus shared with St James's in Dublin 8.

In a joint statement on the project, Ireland's existing children's hospitals welcomed the appointment of BDP.

Lorcan Birthistle, CEO of Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, said, "Today, we reach an important milestone in the new children's hospital project with the appointment of a team with significant experience in children's hospital design."

"We support the decision to locate the new facility at St James's Hospital campus, in line with international best practice of co-locating paediatric services with an adult teaching hospital," he added.

CEO of Temple Street Children's University Hospital, Mona Baker, said, "As the project enters the design phase, we look forward to engaging with the team to inform the design, creating a hospital of which the nation can be proud."

And David Slevin, CEO of Tallaght Hospital, said "Tallaght Hospital is fully in support of the decision to co-locate the new children's hospital on a campus with St James’s Hospital, ensuring that children have access to the many specialties and sub-specialties."

“We also welcome the design team's independent assessment of the site at St James's Hospital and the assurance that the site will comfortably fit the facility, with room for future expansion," he added.

There has been some concern over the suitability of the St James's site, but Mr Zucchi says they have had tougher challenges.