Mater A&E to close ahead of new facility opening

The old Accident and Emergency Department will close in the Mater hospital today with the opening of a new state-of-the-art facility tomorrow.

It follows years of vigils and campaigns by local people for an improvement in conditions there.

The Labour Party will hold a final vigil outside the Mater hospital A&E in Dublin this lunchtime.

Trade and Development Minister Joe Costello said it has been a long hard grind getting to this point, but it's been worth it.

"The new Accident and Emergency (department) is state of the art, I've been in to see it," he said.

"When it does open… I think it will be extremely comfortable.

"It's fit for the work that is required whereas the old department was in a deplorable condition."