The level of hospital overcrowding remains high, with 660 patients waiting for admission to a hospital bed, according to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
The worst-affected hospitals today are University Hospital Limerick with 75 patients waiting and Cork University Hospital which has 60.
The Health Service Executive's figures put the number nationally at 481.
University Hospital Limerick said it had reduced elective surgical activity and increased ward rounds, in order to identify patients suitable for transfer or discharge.
Children's Health Ireland (CHI), which represents the three main Dublin children's hospitals, said that over the weekend it had seen an increase in the number of young children and infants presenting to their Emergency Departments.
It said that the increase in numbers is due in part to more cases of the winter vomiting bug.
Yesterday, CHI said it would start restricting all elective and routine inpatient procedures at Tallaght, Temple Street and Crumlin hospitals in the coming weeks, to help cope with the increase in emergency department attendances.
The Paediatric Executive Lead of CHI said the children's hospitals are experiencing a "winter surge of viruses, early flu, RSV and winter vomiting bugs."
Speaking on RTÉ's Drivetime, Dr Ciara Martin said the hospitals try to put contingencies in place to help ease the crisis at this time of the year but they "don't have control".
She said: "We have a fixed number of staff and beds and so we need to manage on a day-to-day basis."
Dr Martin said it is difficult for children who have been waiting for elective surgeries, such as a scoliosis procedure or removal of tonsils, but these children will be "top priorities" after the winter pressure eases.
She said she could not give a timescale as to when these children would be seen, but that it is unlikely they would be waiting longer than six months.
Meanwhile, Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has claimed that Government health policy is failing, and this failure is having "a devastating impact on patients and staff."
Speaking in the Dáil, Ms McDonald said the Government's approach was "disastrous", and that it was "not acceptable" that patients were "dying in hospital corridors."
In response, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said he accepted that Emergency Departments were "particularly busy" in the past number of months and the impact on people and staff was "deeply regretted."
He said: "You mention solutions. We know what they are, and we are implementing them."
He cited developments in Limerick - including a new Emergency Department which he described as "the most modern in the country" - and a €20m investment in 60 additional beds, which should be completed by the middle of next year.
However, Ms McDonald dismissed the Taoiseach's answer saying there were "unsafe conditions for patients and staff" at Ireland's hospitals.
Mr Varadkar said he noted a health sector strike was taking place in Northern Ireland, where doctors and nurses were demanding that political parties re-enter Stormont and resolve the problems.
He said Sinn Féin's Vice President Michelle O'Neill was in Dublin today but she should be "doing her job" north of the border as she used to hold the health portfolio when power-sharing was in operation.
Ms O'Neill responded by saying it was "a bit rich" for Mr Varadkar to try and "deflect attention" from what she termed his role in being the "administrator of the crisis in the health service" in the Republic.
Additional reporting Paul Cunningham
