The Mayo - Roscommon Hospice has revealed plans for a new state-of-the-art children's hospice.
Located in Castlebar, The Sunflower Children's Hospice, it will be funded by Mayo Roscommon Hospice Foundation.
Health Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill visited the county Mayo town earlier today to make the announcement.
When built, it will provide essential care for children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across eight counties on the Western seaboard.
It’s the first children's hospice to be built outside of Dublin, and the first of its kind to be constructed since 2011.
With an overall project estimated cost of between €12m and €14 million, the foundation has launched a campaign to raise €7 million over the next year to ensure construction can commence in 2026.
The in-patient and respite facility is expected to be completed in approximately two years.
A site has already been secured in Castlebar, with the government and HSE committed to supporting clinical governance.
