This Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) say they have recorded more than 600 patients on trolleys in hospitals around the country every day this week.
They that there have been 14 days so far this year that has seen in excess of 600 patients on trolleys.
When compared to last year, there were only three days in the entire year with more than 600 people waiting to be admitted to hospitals.
The INMO have renewed their call for a two-week period in March to be treated as an emergency period in the public health service, meaning that extraordinary measures should have been put in place to focus on recovering from Storm Emma.
INMO General Secretary, Phil Ni Sheaghdha, said: “This massive surge in attendance at ED Departments was predictable and known to the HSE. Any reasonable and responsible employer and service provider would have sought by any means available to them to minimise these risks to patient and staff safety.
“It is not possible for the hospitals, or staff, to continue to provide safe care under these conditions.
“The INMO are calling for emergency status to be immediately declared and emergency response plans put into operation.”