The State's first purpose-built school of nursing at Dublin City University was opened today by the Minister for Health, Mr Martin.
The school - which cost €25 million - will accommodate 800 nursing students and include a Nursing Skills Centre which aims to replicate the hospital setting.
The opening comes in the wake of a warning from the Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) that the number of vacant nursing positions within the health service is set to rise to over 2,000 over the next 18 months.
The INO also warned that although more nurses were being trained in Ireland than ever before, some 70 per cent of these leave the system within two years of qualifying.
As a result the health service is becoming increasingly reliant on foreign nurses, it said.
Attending today's opening alongside the Minister was Professor Ann Scott, who is currently a member of the Health Research Board and who will head up the school.