The Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) has called on Taoiseach Bertie Ahern to declare the overcrowding of A&E departments a national emergency.
The call comes in the wake of claims by the INO that more than 100 beds could be made available to assist the crisis in the Dublin area.
But the INO said the beds remain closed because of a "bureaucratic black hole" between the new Health Service Executive and the former Eastern Regional Health Authority (ERHA).
INO deputy general secretary Dave Hughes said: "There are 30 beds in Leopardstown Park Hospital, 12 in St Columcilles, Loughlinstown, and a further 110 between Bru Chaoimhin and the old Meath Hospital - all of which could be refurbished and opened if the HSE would immediately pick up on commitments given by the ERHA for the funding and staffing of those beds."
Mr Hughes added: "There are closed beds in Monaghan General Hospital which could relieve some, if not all, of the overcrowding at Cavan General Hospital and University College Hospital, Galway, has some 60 plus beds closed while its A&E remains constantly overcrowded."
The INO continued its lunchtime protests today at NASA Hospital, University College Hospital, Galway, Wexford General Hospital and Tralee General Hospital.
According to the INO there were 279 patients on trolleys in A&E today.