€14.5 million is to be invested in an expansion of kidney care facilities at Beaumont and Connolly Hospitals in Dublin.

The investment includes €8.5m to be spent on the expansion of the living donor transplant programme and the development of existing operating, ward and laboratory facilities to accommodate the expansion.

Announcing the investment, Health Minister James Reilly said it was a major step towards achieving the aim of increasing to 250 the annual number of kidney transplants from both deceased and live donor transplant programmes.

Minister Reilly also announced an added investment of €6 million in a new, 34 stationed, outpatient renal dialysis unit, which will capacity for provision of renal dialysis to outpatients at Beaumont by 55%.

The expansion of the National Transplant Programme is expected to reduce waiting list times and the need for long term dialysis.

This will accrue savings of approximately €250 million over a 10 year period, according to the Department of Health.

In addition to the redevelopment of facilities at Beaumont, the investment includes further development of urology services at Connolly Hospital. This will enable the two hospitals to prioritise and plan the deployment of resources on a shared basis.

In conjunction with the announcement, Beaumont Hospital has also launched a new website www.beaumontkidneycenter.ie where potential living kidney donors and recipients can start the process of living donor evaluation.