The organisers of today's street protest at the number of people waiting on trolleys in Irish hospital accident and emergency departments say it will go ahead come "rain, hail or shine".
Patients Together - a group formed by relatives of patients who have had lengthy spells on trolleys and health professionals - wants hundreds of extra hospital beds to be made available to alleviate the current difficulties.
Almost 150 patients across the State were on trolleys in overcrowded hospital A&E departments yesterday.
Ms Janette Byrne, spokeswoman for Patients Together, said today's protest would take place at 2 p.m. from the Garden of Remembrance in Parnell Square to the Dáil. She called on people to support the protest by demonstrating outside their local A&E unit at the same time.
The group is confident that despite poor weather, the numbers will be significant.
"We have been keeping a very careful eye on the weather over the past few days. However we are hoping to get as many people out as possible. This is simply to mark our anger with the Government on this issue. We are a non-political group and have no political agenda. We are simply the people of this country who want a better health service."
The Irish Nurses Organisation said yesterday that 145 patients were on trolleys in A&E departments around the State. A total of 113 are on trolleys in eastern region hospitals while 32 are waiting on trolleys in hospitals in the rest of the country.
Dublin's Mater Hospital has 29 patients on trolleys, while Tallaght Hospital has 25, plus an additional 12 in a day ward. The numbers waiting on trolleys peaked this week at 186 on Wednesday.
Patients Together has been seeking a meeting with the Minister for Health, Ms Harney. A spokeswoman for the Department of Health confirmed to The Irish Times that a meeting between the group and the Tánaiste has been scheduled for November 5th.