Hospitals in Dublin have been advised to discharge patients in order to free up beds ahead of the pope’s visit to Ireland this weekend amid warnings that up to 750 people may require treatment in emergency departments.

Authorities in the Irish capital have put in place plans to deal with hundreds of thousands of people expected to attend key events or line the streets in the hope of glimpsing Pope Francis. About 1,500 gardaí and more than 1,000 medical aid-givers will be on duty in Dublin.

Irish police have issued a list of items banned from the papal mass in Phoenix Park, including selfie sticks, alcohol, banners, placards and flags, folding chairs, drones, glass bottles, large prams and umbrellas, and animals (apart from registered guide dogs).

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