Northern Ireland's Health Minister and Chief Medical Officer have said they do not believe they will need to ask hospitals in the Republic to treat Covid-19 patients.
They were responding to claims that Stormont's Department of Health has asked about the possibility of patients from north of the border being treated in ICU units in the south if required.
Health minister Robin Swann said reports of such requests "are not something that we would recognise".
He added: "We have a good working relationship with our colleagues in the Republic of Ireland and indeed across these islands, but what level are we at, we are not there yet, nor will we be."
While a number of hospitals in Northern Ireland have said they are currently operating "beyond capacity", Mr Swann said the health service has the ability to "flex up" its ICU capacity if needed.
Northern Ireland has 106 intensive care beds, with 44 occupied by coronavirus patients and 53 by non-Covid patients.
While that means only 13 ICU beds are currently available, the number can be increased by an extra 52 under "surge plans" to cope with an increase in demand caused by coronavirus.
The minister's views were echoed by the Chief Medical Officer Dr Michael McBride.
"I don't anticipate that we will exceed our surge capacity for intensive care beds in Northern Ireland," he said.
"However, none of us will be found wanting if colleagues in the Republic of Ireland need assistance from ourselves, or vice versa..
"We will not be found wanting and that mutual aid will be provided if it's requested and if it's required, but as I say I don't anticipate that being the case."
Dr McBride said the R number in Northern Ireland has fallen to around 1 as a result of tougher restrictions, but warned that it needs to be much lower for those restrictions to be lifted.
He also warned that believing Northern Ireland will return to normality at the end of the current restrictions, which are scheduled to be in place until 13 Novermber, is "misplaced".
