Details have emerged of radical proposals from health service managers on how to save money in the Dublin and North East regions.

The draft document includes a waiting list for some maternity services, caps on access to immunisation, and even the scaling back of services for victims of sexual abuse.

It also revealed the Dublin-North region could be facing a €50m deficit for this year.

The HSE said the document is a "work-in-progress".

It is understood that if the first round of steps are not taken, the document warns of much more extreme cost-cutting that might be needed, such as the closure of the hospital in Monaghan, Louth County hospital in Dundalk and "significant additional ward closures" in the Mater, Beaumont and Connolly hospitals.