Stephen McMahon of the Irish Patients' Association said that the HSE and the Government have been led into an emergency response, due to the lack of preparation. He said that the Emergency Department Task Force set up in 2016 by then-minister for health Leo Varadkar provided a whole-of-organisation senior management response, with patient representatives on board too.

"It met as many as nine times in a year during Leo Varadkar’s tenure but has only met twice this year," Mr McMahon said. "Bed capacity is a big factor. Bed numbers are regularly announced and repackaged. There never seems to be a reconciled bed count."