The Minister for Health has approved a €140 million development for Tullamore General Hospital that will create 72 extra beds.
Mr Martin said the development will take four years to complete and will reduce patient numbers attending hospitals in other regions, particularly in the Eastern Region.
Yesterday, Mr Martin announced plans for 850 extra hospital beds under a pilot Public Private Partnership scheme.
The scheme would be piloted in the Eastern Regional Health Authority and in the South Health Board area, where the problem of lack of long-stay beds is most acute, he said.
The pilot projects will initially focus on the provision of long-stay accommodation for the elderly in community nursing units.
The Department anticipates 17 such units will be created when the pilot programme is complete, providing a maximum of 850 beds.
