The Government is to announce the commissioning of 650 extra hospital beds next week which are expected to be available early next year.
According to a spokesman from the Department of Health, funding for the beds has already been approved in last week’s budget and the Department, in conjunction with the Eastern Regional Health Authority(ERHA) and the other Health Boards, is in the process of identifying where those beds will be located.
The Department was responding to statements earlier today in the which the ERHA said it could make 400 extra beds available if the Government provided the funding.
"The 650 new beds which will be announced next week are part of the first phase of the new seven-year health strategy which aims to create 3000 new hospital places by the year 2008," the spokesman told ireland.com.
"The extra places are the result of a Bed Capacity Review undertaken by the Department earlier this year which has identified where these beds are most need.
"The results of the review, along with the announcement of where the beds will be located, will be announced next week."
The ERHA, which overseas the health services for three health boards in the Eastern region, has now submitted proposals which could have a significant impact on bed capacity in the region.
The authority has identified over 340 public hospital beds around the city that could come on stream as soon as funding is made available.
There is a total of 124, in St James's Hospital, 70 in St Joseph's hospital in Raheny, 60 in the Mater, and 40 in St Michael's Hospital in Dun Laoghaire.