Protesters have gathered at Dublin's Mater Hospital to demonstrate over the lack of available beds for patients.
The protest comes as the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) claimed more than 220 people remained on trolleys in hospital accident and emergency units around the State yesterday awaiting admission to beds.
The INO said the worst over-crowding was at Tallaght Hospital where 45 people were on trolleys, including nine in the day ward.
These were down on figures earlier in the week when, according to the INO, overcrowding in A&E units reached record levels.
At one stage in recent days, the numbers awaiting admission to hospital beds around the State reached more than 400, the INO said.
The organisation said there were 24 patients on trolleys at Beaumont Hospital yesterday, 22 in the Mater and 17 in St Vincent's University Hospital.