A new survey of the main Dublin hospitals has found a total of 252 patients occupying beds who no longer needed treatment in an acute hospital.
The figures, drawn up at the request of Health Minister Mary Harney, showed the position on a single day in the five teaching hospitals in the capital.
Earlier, the Tánaiste promised a wide ranging package of measures to deal with problems in Accident and Emergency departments.
The measures include extending primary care, creating new medical assessment units and making improvements in the discharge of patients.
The news comes as a survey by RTÉ News reveals that around 140 patients were waiting on trolleys for admission to A & E units around the country today.
In Dublin, there were 79 patients on trolleys while in other parts of the country the number was 61. Tallaght Hospital has reported 26 patients waiting for admission, the Mater Hospital had 22, and Beaumont Hospital had 15.
Outside of Dublin, the hospital with the largest number of patients waiting in A&E was Cork University Hospital, which had 20 patients on trolleys. Naas General Hospital had 13 people waiting on trolleys.
Separately, Ms Harney has agreed to investigate the case of Independent TD James Breen, who told the Dáil he nearly died after contracting the MRSA bug in hospital.
