Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will bring the Health Service Executive's Winter Plan to Cabinet today which aims to provide additional capacity in public hospitals, as well as availing of services in the private system.
Projected expenditure is understood to be €168m, although much of it is already included within existing allocations.
The plan aims to reflect recommendations from the Irish Association of Emergency Medicine as well as providing for local needs identified by clinicians, managers, hospital and community staff.
The Winter Plan proposes the involvement of hundreds of additional staff as well as the implementation of safe staffing levels in emergency departments.
It is reported that the minister instructed the recruitment of an additional 51 emergency department consultants.
He also asked the HSE to ensure there is improved access to diagnostics at sites across the country, so tests, like MRIs, are available in the evenings and at weekends.
Mother and Baby
Meanwhile it is expected that the Minister for Children Roderic O'Gorman will seek approval for legislation relating to the proposed Mother and Baby Home Payment Scheme.
Government approved the principle of the Mother and Baby Home Payment Scheme last November, with Children's Minister Roderic O'Gorman estimating it would cost €800m.
Now Minister O'Gorman is returning to Cabinet with detailed legislation - something he said would represent "... the State's acknowledgement of its past failures and the needless suffering experienced by so many of its citizens."
Also at Cabinet, Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan,will outline his plan to deliver 30 of the most transformative public transport projects within three years.
One project is to phase-out cars from Dublin's College Green, starting from next year, but the full list for cities, towns and town lands around the country will not be revealed until next week.
