Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children has denied claims made by Opposition parties that it is turning away up to six children with cancer each week due to health cutbacks.
A spokeswoman for the Crumlin, Dublin-based hospital - the national centre for treating children with cancer, heart conditions and other illnesses - told ireland.comit was "not the case" that children were being denied treatment.
"The treatment is available; other than that, we are making no comment because it's a political issue," she said.
Fine Gael leader Mr Enda Kenny yesterday issued a statement following his visit to the hospital claiming children had been turned away from chemotherapy services because of overcrowding. He called on the Government to publish the "long-overdue" timetable for the development of the hospital.
Labour repeated the claim at a press conference on the health services this morning, stating that up to six children were being turned away each week.
Senator Kathleen O'Meara, the party's spokeswoman on children, said the "revelation" that Our Lady's Hospital was "turning away" sick children because of health cutbacks was an "appalling situation" and "intolerable".
However, when contacted to confirm the claims, a spokeswoman for the hospital said they were "incorrect".