The closure of 50 hospital beds in the North-East as been described as predictable.
The Health Service Executive (HSE) has made the move in an effort to save money on a massive budget overun.
24 beds will go in the Louth County Hospital in Dundalk while 10 will shut in Our Lady’s Hospital in Navan.
Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda will also be hit with the temporary closure of 16 beds.
In a further move to cut costs the use of agency staff will be stopped from December 1st.
Agency costs rose by 15% last year to €176 million.
Paul Cullen is the Irish Times Health Correspondent.
He told Breakfast here on Newstalk something had to be done as the budget overun has now exceeded €250 million.
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