Master of the Rotunda wants €40m extension built to counter outbreaks of infection

The Master of the Rotunda is warning babies face serious health risks from overcrowding unless urgent action is taken to relieve the Dublin hospital's cramped conditions.

According to the Irish Times, Dr Fergal Malone is proposing a €40m extension for the oldest maternity hospital in the world.

There are plans to co-locate it with Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown but it is feared the transition could take up to 10 years.

The interim proposal to extend follows a number of outbreaks of infection in the Rotunda's overcrowded neo-natal intensive care unit, despite careful surveillance.