Irish president Michael D Higgins is taken to hospital after feeling unwell

Michael D Higgins had had a number of engagements earlier in the week, including presenting an award at a film festival and hosting overseas diplomats. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA

The president of Ireland, Michael D Higgins, has been taken to hospital after feeling unwell.

The 82-year-old was taken for tests in Dublin on Thursday after being assessed by a doctor at his official residence in the capital, Áras an Uachtaráin.

He was taken to hospital as a precaution. A spokesperson for Áras an Uachtaráin told the Irish Mirror: “The president was initially assessed at Áras an Uachtaráin, where no immediate concerns were identified, but a decision was made to proceed to hospital in order to undergo tests, the initial results of which have been positive.

“The president, who will remain in hospital overnight, is in excellent spirits and has thanked the medical staff for the care he has received.”

Higgins presented the 2024 Volta lifetime achievement award to the film director Steve McQueen at the Dublin international film festival on Wednesday. The president also hosted a number of foreign diplomats this week and attended the RTÉ folk awards in Vicar Street, Dublin on Tuesday.

On Monday, Higgins appealed to countries including the UK and Germany that have withdrawn funding from a relief agency in Gaza to “think again” and provide support to help avoid a “catastrophe”.

Several countries have frozen funding for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) while a review of Israeli allegations that some of its staff took part in the deadly Hamas attack on 7 October is under way.

Higgins said: “The lead taken by Ireland in giving increased and additional aid to UNRWA is an example of which Irish people can be proud of, not only because of our own history but given the importance international humanitarian action and international humanitarian law has in our world.

“As president of Ireland, I would appeal to those countries which have withdrawn aid to think again and to provide the desperately needed support to UNRWA’s 30,000 staff in the region and 13,000 staff in Gaza so we can avoid this catastrophe.”

Higgins was first elected president in 2011 and was re-elected in 2018. His term due to expire next year.

The Irish president is the head of state but has limited constitutional powers and is regarded as a predominantly ceremonial role.