Temple Street Children's University Hospital has said its Emergency Department has been especially busy over the last two weeks due to a recent surge in the number of seriously ill children presenting with acute gastroenteritis.
A statement was issued to RTÉ News following reports of overcrowding in the hospital's Emergency Department last week.
In the statement, the hospital said that on very busy nights, after consultations with Emergency Departments at Crumlin and Tallaght, the hospital may decide to go off-call to ambulances for a period, to alleviate pressure in the Emergency Department.
It said the main priority was that all children who required admission got beds as soon as possible within the hospital.
The statement said if beds are not available transfer is arranged to one of the other two children's hospitals at Crumlin or Tallaght, if there are available beds in these hospitals.
About 53,000 children attend Temple Street Emergency Department every year as 'walk-in' patients, with their parents or via ambulance.
On average 120 children attend between midday and midnight.
