Ahern: Not a red cent in coffers for hospitals

THERE is not a “red cent in the Exchequer” to develop a new regional hospital for the north-east, Foreign Affairs Minister Dermot Ahern claimed yesterday.

Navan in Co Meath is the preferred site for a new regional hospital, according to study commissioned by the Health Service Executive (HSE) — a decision that has sparked political outrage throughout the region.

Mr Ahern moved to dampen the controversy yesterday saying he did not believe there was any likelihood of the hospital being built in the foreseeable future.