Thousands protest cuts at Navan Hospital

Thousands of people have turned out to protest against cuts at Navan Hospital in Co Meath today.

The HSE last month announced that acute and emergency surgery at the hospital would stop with immediate effect.

Fine Gael has accused Minister Noel Dempsey of trying to undermine this afternoon's protest march against cuts at Navan Hospital.

It follows a radio interview in which Noel Dempsey claimed the matter was being addressed at Oireachtas level.

"I don't believe him at all," said local Fine Gael TD Damien English. "People have seen the services reduced already in the last month.

"There has been a knock-on effect."

"And we know very clearly from talking to all the medical people in the hospital that there will be more effects, there will be a domino effect, and within the next 6 to 12 months a lot of the services that are already at Navan Hospital will be gone."