Five wards at Dublin's St Vincent's hospital have been closed to new admissions as a result of another outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.
A hospital spokesman confirmed yesterday that 45 cases have been confirmed at the hospital. He appealed to the public to avoid visiting patients to help curtail the spread of the bug.
Visits by children are particularly discouraged.
He said people have also been urged not to attend the hospital's A&E unit if they have symptoms of winter vomiting as they risk spreading it to other more seriously ill patients.
"These visiting restrictions are essential for the health and wellbeing of patients, visitors and staff, and the hospital is appealing to all concerned to co-operate with the hospital."
Last December the hospital also had to deal with an outbreak of the winter vomiting bug.
At one stage some 270 patients and staff had symptoms, which include diarrhoea and vomiting.
Meanwhile more than one million children will benefit from increases in child benefit which are due to come into effect this week, Minister for Social Affairs Séamus Brennan said yesterday.
Child benefit is being increased by €10 a month for the first and second child (€141.60) and by €12 a month for the third and subsequent child (€177.30).
Increases will be paid to families by electronic methods from today, while families paid by book payment will get the increase for April and May in a voucher to be picked up at their local post office on the first Tuesday in May.
Mr Brennan said that child benefit payments had now increased fourfold in the past 10 years.
However, he said that challenges remained in finding ways to channel additional resources to support children who had to endure poverty, deprivation and distress.