Thousands of patients have been waiting for more than a year for an outpatient appointment at Dublin hospitals.
New figures from the National Treatment Purchase Fund shows that at the end of may 26 thousand people were waiting to see a doctor.
The figure includes over 4 thousand sick children who are waiting to be seen at Temple Street and Crumlin.
The problem is worst at Tallaght hospital where over 10 thosuand patients are waiting, followed by Beaumont hospital where 3625 people have yet to get an appointment.
The hospital with the least number on a list is St. Vincents with 264.
The Department of Health says that eliminating the longest waiting periods is a key objective for this year.
Meanwhile nurses at Beaumont hospital have deferred their planned industrial action due to overcrowding at its Emergency Department.
The nurses union says its after a lot of progress was made in talks in the past 2 weeks.
