Planning has been granted for a new three-storey extension at UHK which will deliver 30 additional patient beds.
Kerry County Council has granted planning for the new section of the hospital, which will place three extra storeys on top of the existing building.
The development is a vertical extension of the main UHK building in Tralee, which was originally constructed in the 1980s.
Within the three-storeys, will be a mix of single rooms, twin rooms, staff changing facilities, and family meeting rooms.
The HSE writes this additional bed capacity will be served by an additional 78 staff.
In its planning statement, the HSE wrote the need for the expansion of acute hospital in-patient bed capacity is a priority, in order to increase the number of beds available to treat patients requiring hospital care.
This priority is in line with the Sláintecare Programme and the Acute Hospital Inpatient Bed Capacity Expansion Plan 2024-2031.
This plan sets a target for the number of in-patient bed capacity to increase by 108 additional beds between 2024 and 2031, 30 of which will be achieved by this development.
No additional car parking spaces are provided to serve the new extension, while solar panels will be fitted on the roof.
Planning permission was granted subject to four conditions.