300 hospital beds are to be made available to help alleviate overcrowding in Emergency Departments.

Health Minister Leo Varadkar says they will be coming on stream in the coming weeks.

Nurses in Emergency Departments are to meet on Monday to discuss the issue.

Liam Doran of the INMO says they may decide at that meeting to ballot for industrial action.

However, the Health Minister Leo Varadkar says a strike is not the answer.