The Irish Hospice Foundation is to provide €2.2m over the next five years to develop a hospice home care service for children.
It will result in the appointment of Ireland's first paediatric palliative care consultant and eight specialist nurses to support home care.
It follows an agreement with the Department of Health & Children and the Health Service Executive, under which the Foundation will fund the main recommendations from a national policy 'Palliative Care for Children with Life-Limiting Conditions'.
The policy document was published today by Minister for Children Barry Andrews.
Read the full document
The HSE will fund three of the outreach nursing posts.
The policy document says that each HSE area should develop a plan for respite facilities for children with life-limiting conditions and their families.
Around 1,400 children are living with a life-limiting condition and around 350 children die each year due to their illness.
