The Health Information and Quality Authority (Hiqa) announced yesterday it is to investigate the emergency department services at Tallaght hospital.
In a statement, the authority said its board made the decision on Friday to instigate a statutory investigation into the quality, safety and governance of the care provided to patients requiring acute admission at the hospital.
The authority said it has had concerns over care at the emergency department and had sought assurances in relation to how the hospital was governing and managing quality and safety of care.
The authority said terms of reference and membership of the investigation team will be published when finalised, adding it did not envisage making further public comment until its investigation is completed.
Responding, Minister for Health Dr James Reilly said he understood all involved would fully co-operate with this "significant inquiry" to facilitate a speedy conclusion.
"Given the absolute importance of patient safety, the results of the examination will be studied intensively by all concerned," his statement concluded.
Last year the hospital was subject to another investigation after it emerged that thousands of X-rays had gone unreported to consultants while many referral letters from GPs had not been processed.
At the time, the hospital admitted that one patient had died as a result of a delayed X-ray diagnosis.
Last week, a coroner said Tallaght hospital sounded like a “very dangerous” place.
Questioning whether it would be safer for ill or injured people to stay at home rather than go to the hospital, Dublin county coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty said the hospital “sounds like a very dangerous place to be for anybody, let alone a sick patient”.
Additional reporting PA