Almost 123 thousand people were left of a hospital trolley last year.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation says among them, were almost 3,500 children who were admitted to hospital without a bed.
The nursing union says the health service recruitment freeze is making a bad situation worse.
INMO General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha, says savings need to be found from other areas and not from staffing:
"We all understand that the health service has to work within a budget. But, if this is the type of budget that is going to be progressed for 2024, it will directly impact on patient services and the services that are available. And we believe that the savings must be made elsewhere".
