It’s emerged that Beaumont Hospital in Dublin sent three organs to the UK Transplant Service last month because of what it describes as ‘highly exceptional’ circumstances.

The hospital, which is the national centre for kidney transplants, says there had been an interim reconfiguration of the beds in the transplantation unit due to capital works at the hospital.

And says it was not an issue of bed capacity but a combination of factors.

Over 600 people are awaiting organ transplants in this Country.