There were 315 patients waiting on trolleys or in wards for admission at hospitals across the country this morning, according to figures from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
The numbers are considerably higher than on the same day last year and are also higher than yesterday when 231 people were waiting for admission.
It is in spite of a number of funded initiatives by the Government which are designed to reduce overcrowding in emergency departments.
The highest trolley figures are in South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel, where 27 patients are waiting.
There are 20 people waiting for admission to the Mater hospital in Dublin and 19 at Naas General Hospital.
