The HSE has said the current backlog for coronavirus tests is around 11,000 - with CEO Paul Reid insisting that will be 'reduced completely' by the end of the week.
At one point, there was a build-up of around 35,000 tests to be analysed, and German labs have been helping authorities in Ireland reduce that number in recent weeks.
Mr Reid said over 72,000 tests have now been completed here, representing a 'doubling of our capacity of completed tests in a very short period of time'.
Labs are currently working through thousands of tests daily, but the number is reducing as backlogs are cleared and demand for new testing decreases.
However, work is ongoing to continue to build on capacity in case there's any further surge in numbers.
Testing is currently being carried out at a turnaround of around 24-36 hours in hospitals, although there is a longer wait for results of community testing due to the different logistics involved.
Mr Reid said: "That backlog will continue to be reduced, and will be reduced completely during the course of this week.
"80% [of the backlog] will be done by the German laboratories, and 20% will be done between our hospitals and the National Virus Reference Lab.
"The testing process and the testing returns so far have been very significant for us and of a good quality so far."
PPE supplies
Elsewhere, Mr Reid acknowledged that the HSE is currently experiencing a "significant issue" with the supply of gowns for healthcare workers.
He said while there are still gowns available for frontline staff, "supply will be tight" in some areas until another batch arrives from China.
However, he said further supplies of Personal Protective Equipment are arriving in Ireland - and noted that efforts are continuing to be made to resolve the issues that arose with the first batch of PPE that arrived here from China in recent weeks.
He suggested: “We are in a better position than most countries are… thanks to the order we have secured from China.
"But [PPE] is an issue we’re dealing with every day and every week, and I won't be comfortable on any given day until we secure the full order from China and we have it in our warehouse and distributed."
Mr Reid noted that work is ongoing to bring on further suppliers of PPE in Ireland and China.
He also said that talks are ongoing with the current Chinese supplier to see if the third batch of equipment ordered "can be accelerated" into a second batch that is due to arrive in the coming days.
