Irish President Michael D Higgins has spent the night in hospital to have a localised infection examined.

President Higgins travelled to St James’s Hospital in Dublin by arrangement on Sunday and has started a course of antibiotics to treat the infection.

In an updated statement on Monday, a spokesperson said the president’s medical team have “noted a significant improvement” since the treatment commenced and “in line with their advice, the president has agreed to remain in hospital to continue the course of antibiotics”.

Higgins will remain in office until Catherine Connolly’s inauguration in Dublin Castle on 11 November.

He had congratulated his successor after her landslide election win at the weekend.

The independent TD (member of Irish parliament) secured 914,143 first preference votes (63%) – a record in Irish presidential election history.

However, politicians have said the unprecedented number of 213,738 spoiled votes needs to be addressed.

Connolly was officially declared as the elected 10th president of the Republic of Ireland on Saturday evening at Dublin Castle, after defeating Fine Gael’s Heather Humphreys.