Dublin's Mater closes 82 beds in cutbacks plan

Dublin's Mater Hospital has closed 82 beds as part the proposed cutbacks in its service, ireland.comhas confirmed this evening.

The hospital plans to close 104 beds in total as part of the 250 bed closures announced last week by the five Dublin Academic Teaching Hospitals.

A spokesman said the hospital had closed several 10-bed units, an 18-bed unit and a 20-bed unit in the past number of days.

He said the cutbacks have been spread as evenly as possible so as no area "has been unduly penalised".

The rest of the bed closures are to be divided up between the other four main teaching hospitals with Beaumont understood to be shedding just under 90.

Meanwhile, the chairman of the North Eastern Health Board has warned that continued under-funding by the Department of Health will result in cutbacks.

Mr Declan Breathnach warned that the board would be forced to implement cuts in services to keep within its budget for the coming year unless there is more money forthcoming.

"I am concerned that the whole focus by the media has been on the crisis in Dublin hospitals when we have a grave problem in the North East and no one seems to be listening," he said.