More than 100 extra hospital beds have been approved for emergency departments around the country.

It is in a bid to address overcrowding for the winter period.

Health Minister Simon Harris told the Oireachtas Health Committee on Wednesday he hopes 190 extra beds will be opened.

"I gave the figure of 83 beds of the 190 had been approved - but I'm kind of running a live tracker here.

"I now believe it's 107 beds - cause 25 for Tallaght have now been approved as well.

"So it's 107 of the additional 190 we hope to open have now been approved".

While the charge for people attending hospital injury units across the country is to be cut.

This is to fall from €100 to €75 in the coming days, following a proposal by Roscommon-Galway TD Denis Naughten.

Minister Harris is in the process of drafting a change to the charges to encourage patients to consider this as an option for appropriate injuries.

Last month, Deputy Naughten said: "We need to better utilise our injury units, which can provide for quick diagnosis and discharge back into the community and ensure that people do not have long stays for tests, as is the case in emergency departments.

"Currently, people go directly to accident and emergency departments rather than to injury units and this measure will encourage people within the catchment area of injury units to go there in preference to overcrowded A&Es.

"I believe this change in the charging structure will send a clear message to the public to consider using their local injury unit."

Injury units are for the treatment of broken bones, dislocations, sprains, strains, wounds, scalds and minor burns that are unlikely to need admission to hospital.

Staff in these units can perform x-rays, reduce joint dislocations, apply plaster casts and treat wounds by stitches or other means.

Injury units are located at hospitals in Roscommon, Loughlinstown, Dundalk, Smithfield, Monaghan, Ennis, Nenagh, St John's Limerick, The Mercy Cork, Mallow and Bantry.

Additional reporting: Sean Defoe