Wait times at emergency departments in the first quarter of this year are the worst on record.
New figures from the HSE show the average patient waited nearly 13 hours before being admitted to hospital - up 11.2 hours pre-pandemic.
The worst unit was Tallaght University Hospital where people waited over 24 hours to be seen, while the shortest wait times were found in St Luke's Hospital, Kilkenny - where patients were seen 2.9 hours after registering.
CEO of the Irish Patients Association Stephen McMahon has said delays to care costs lives.
Mr McMahon told Newstalk: "The figures that have been reported are absolutely shocking, from the point of view there is evidence to support the fact that one in 80 admissions that have been waiting more than five or six hours can result in a preventable fatality."
