The Health Service Executive has confirmed plans to appoint 60 new consultants to hospitals which have met targets in their A&E departments.
Twenty-four facilities will benefit from the €10m investment, with Midwest Regional Hospital in Limerick awarded the largest number of new consultants.
Other beneficiaries include Waterford Hospital, Galway University Hospital and St Vincent's and St James' hospitals in Dublin.
The move is part of a scheme which rewards hospitals for good performance in their A&E units.