The pressure on the health system is going to get worse before it gets better.
That's according to the HSE, which has warned it doesn't believe the situation is at it's peak yet.
The public are being urged to 'consider all option' like injury units, pharmacies and GPs before attending emergency Departments.
A 'major internal incident' was declared at University Hospital Limerick yesterday, with other hospitals like the Mater also reporting very high attendance rates.
HSE Chief of Operations, Damien McCallion, says a very challenging January is expected.
"I don't believe we're at the peak at the moment in terms of public health projections.
"We're sure that we're on the upper end in terms of our pessimistic modelling in terms of the scenarios, but also that we're still got some way to go over the coming weeks to deal with that.
"So we certainly are going to see a very difficult period in January and our hospital staff are working really hard to try and make it as easy as possible for patients, as in either our staff and our community under ambulance service."
