Staff at Letterkenny General Hospital in Co Donegal are protesting today over a lack of progress on the provision of additional beds in the hospital.
More than 300 people have been protesting outside the hospital, seeking an immediate rise in the number of acute beds to deal with overcrowding.
According to Ms Terese Gallagher, of the Irish Nurses' Organisation, there is an urgent need for a minimum of 70 additional beds.
She described the situation at the hospital as "pretty dire" and pointed out that yesterday 23 patients were being treated away from the wards they should have been in.