University College Cork has been granted permission to build a new multi-million euro dental school in the western suburbs of the city.

The project is designed to provide dental health services, clinical teaching spaces for dental students along with education and support facilities, research laboratories and innovation spaces.

“The ambition is that the building, built over two phases, will provide a welcoming and comfortable experience for patients, a creative learning environment for students and a positive working environment for staff,” said a spokesman.

The five-storey dental hospital will have research and innovation facilities, a central sterile services department, rooftop plant enclosure and support service areas and will be served by a new roads network. It is hoped that construction will start on site sometime next summer and the project is expected to be completed in early 2022.