The Health Service Executive tonight disputed claims that one of Dublin's main hospitals will be hit with bed closures, cancelled surgery and a freeze on employing student nurses.
Despite confirming that Connolly Hospital Blanchardstown was implementing a range of cost containment measures aimed at "delivering services within budget", the HSE maintained the move would not impact on emergency care.
It was earlier claimed that hospital management had to pull services back to 2006 levels, resulting in longer waiting lists for operations and delays in outpatients and A&E.
The HSE said any measures adopted would be in line with the HSE transformation programme.
"No decisions have been made, to date, to close beds at Connolly Hospital," said a spokeswoman.
"A review of first quarter performance results by the hospital is ongoing. Nor has there been a decision taken to freeze the employment of student nurses at the hospital. Each year over the peak summer holiday period the hospital scales back activity. This does not impact on emergency or urgent admissions."
The teaching hospital, which serves a population of around 300,000 people in the west Dublin, Meath and Kildare, provides acute medical, surgical and psychiatric services, as well as long-stay care and support.
Labour's local TD, Joan Bruton, said any significant shortfall in funding would result in cutbacks and affect patients.
"The book-keeping culture that prevails in the HSE has led to a situation where patients will have to wait longer and travel further for treatment that they badly need," she said.
Meanwhile, the crippling health service was hit with another blow today as psychiatric nurses began a ban on overtime.
As a dispute for an improved compensation scheme for nurses who are attacked on the job escalated, members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association and SIPTU have vowed to work their roistered hours only.
Bans have also been put on place on assisting admissions, accompanying patients to Tribunals, and attendance at non-essential meetings.
The unions claim the compensation scheme proposed by the HSE devalues psychiatric nurses.
The move follows yesterday's news that some 28,000 health workers will begin a work to rule and possible strike action from May 21st.
The Impact trade union, which claimed the HSE has enforced a recruitment freeze since January, said that there had been overwhelming support for the action in a national ballot - the largest of its kind ever undertaken by the union.
But the HSE said there was no embargo on recruitment since January and called on workers to withdraw a threat of industrial action.