The Health Service Executive (HSE) has started forming a development board to oversee the building of the new National Children's Hospital.
A team of HSE officials and executives from the Department of Health have been appointed to consult with stakeholders and provide for participation of the three Dublin children's hospitals in the creation of the board.
The team, to be called the Joint Transition Group, will be chaired by director of the National Hospitals Office, John O'Brien. Its work will include the transfer of the site from the Mater Hospital and coming up with a brief for the new multi-million euro hospital.
The move follows the identification of Mater Hospital site for the location for the National Children's Hospital, a move that will see Dublin's three existing children's hospitals, located on one site.
The north inner-city site will be transferred to the State at no cost.
The group will make recommendations to Minister for Health Mary Harney on the most appropriate format for the development board, which will be responsible for designing, building and commissioning the new hospital. It is planned the body will be in place before the end of the year.
The group will also consult with stakeholders to determine the number and locations of the urgent care centres, which will be a back-up local A&E-type service for children.
The urgent care centres will not have inpatient children's beds and will be staffed by general paediatricians.
The task force will also be working to co-ordinate policies between the new hospital, and other hospitals including those outside Dublin.