More than 50,000 children attended the Emergency Department of Temple Street Children’s Hospital in Dublin last year.

In total, 126,000 children were treated at the hospital last year, with the biggest attendance rates by children from North and South County Dublin.

The figures come as the hospital opens its newly extended and refurbished Emergency Department this morning.

The cost of the renovation came to €690,000 which was provided by the HSE, and includes two new treatment rooms along with a new reception and waiting area.

Dr Roisin McNamara, Consultant Emergency Medicine Physician at the hospital, said: “The new Rapid Assessment and Treatment Unit (RATU) does not come with additional staff but will allow us to stream patients more efficiently and the extra space will give an overall better patient experience with less congestion in the waiting area.

“In winter finding a bed to examine a patient when the majority of beds are occupied by admitted patients can be difficult so the addition of four extra beds to the ED will help with this.

“We also now have four isolation rooms, which will allow us to isolate patients in specific rooms without affecting the normal functioning of the ED and will provide a more comfortable environment for overnight patients.”