A group of around 100 people took part in a protest outside the Dail today at overcrowding in the State's accident & emergency departments.
The Lie Down And Be Countedprotest was organised by the Patients Together group.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) recorded 495 patients on trolleys in all accident & emergency departments on March 8th.
It was the highest number since records began and exceeded the previous day's tally of 455.
The Health Service Executive blamed the high numbers on winter vomiting bug cases and the unseasonal cold snap.
The INO's trolley watch figure hovered around the 260 mark this week.
Patients Together spokesperson Janette Byrne said ordinary people were suffering in the health service but were powerless to complain.
"Patients just want to be listened to. Everybody else had a union or lobby group to speak up for them but there are thousands of patients without a voice," she explained.
Referring to the 1916 Rising leaders being commemorated on Easter Sunday, Ms Byrne commented: "Those men would be turning in their graves today if they saw what was happening in the country they gave their lives for."
The noon protest is being supported by the INO and MRSA and Families.
Formed in October 2004, Patients Together has previously held candlelight vigils and delivered petitions to the Health Department to publicise the plight of patients.