Unions representing healthcare workers will address TDs and senators this morning on the ongoing overcrowding crisis in hospitals.
Representatives, from the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Forsa, SIPTU and the Irish Medical Organisation, will appear before the Joint Committee on Health.
The INMO says it called the meeting to highlight that more than 21-thousand patients have been on trolleys in hospitals so far this year, a 170-percent increase on the same period last year.
The union representing nurses is calling for bed occupancy rate to be reduced to 85 percent, in line with best practice.