Hundreds of people will gather in Dublin city centre this afternoon to demand the Government delivers on its promise of extra hospital beds.
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams, who will address the rally, said it was time the Government used public finance to improve the health system and deliver on the required 3,000 hospital beds.
Mr Adams said: "We are demanding that the Government intervene to end the crisis in the health service and end their mad-cap proposals to privatise health care services."
He added: "It's time that the Government used public finance to improve the public health system and not to help property developers build private hospitals. Now is the time to put the Government under pressure."
Sinn Fein leader Gerry Adams
The rally leaves Parnell Square at 1pm travelling down O'Connell Street, around by Nassau Street and on towards the Dail. A number of people will address the gathering outside the GPO on O'Connell Street.
Earlier this month, the Irish Hospital Consultants Association called for the provision of more acute hospital beds.
The group said if the Government honoured its commitment to providing 3,000 extra hospital beds it would reduce patients' risk of contracting infections in hospitals.
Last year, Health Minister Mary Harney confirmed new private hospitals would be built on the campuses of public hospitals to free up 1,000 more beds for public patients.
The department said this would increase bed capacity for public patients in public hospitals and encourage the private sector to generate extra capacity.