There have been 44 deaths from flu so far this season, according to the HSE.

Hospital overcrowding would have been solved “a long time ago” if it was down to more beds, more staff and more money, Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has told the Dáil.

President of the Irish Hospital Consultant Association, Dr Donal O'Hanlon, warned that the acute hospital system is "at breaking point" because of a severe shortage of consultants, beds and other facilities.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association's expressing concern that 100 permanent consultant psychiatric jobs remain unfilled.

The Government's response to claims about the state of University Hospital Waterford's mortuary has been described as "alarming" by a group representing over 90% of hospital consultants.