The Irish Hospital Consultants Association said the Government must address the State's 95 per cent bed occupancy rate if waiting lists are to be tackled

Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said the Government’s delivery of acute hospital inpatient beds was ‘significantly ahead’ of targets

Follow the latest news with our three-minute video update

Prof Irvine said that consultants were already working weekends and bank holidays, but that the issue was the shortage of a “whole package of supports"

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association has expressed concerns over escalating levels of overcrowding in Emergency Departments

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) has expressed "dismay that the Government is on course to miss waiting list reduction targets for 2022 by a significant margin"

The Government has approved new contracts for consultants which will include a pay increase in return for doctors being rostered Monday-Saturday

Concerns have been raised over the health system's ability to cope with a 'twindemic' of Covid-19 and flu this winter

Irish Hospital Consultants Association president Professor Alan Irvine said motivation to fix the problem is "waning"