As the number of people on trolleys and chairs in Emergency Departments reached over 600 yesterday, the focus turned to Leo Varadkar, the Department of Health and the HSE for direction and emergency planning.

Another statement is due from the HSE later today. The Director General spoke to Newstalk Breakfast this morning about the overcrowding in emergency departments.

Chris Donoghue pressed Mr O'Brien on whether the HSE had failed in its treatment of patients to which Mr O'Brien replied:"It's certainly a failure."

He continued in relation to the taskforce of 2007: "Many of the issues that were identified there have been systematically addressed. What we're now seeing is the particular increase in the number of people who need to leave hospital and go into long term or intermediate care."

Chris further pressed him on whether the HSE has been shortchanged: "During 2014, there clearly was inadequate money applied to long term care.

"In 2015, we did get an extra €25 million to address this specific issue.

"We said that it would make a difference but it would not be sufficent."

He stated that he doesn't need more money to deal with the immediate hospital overcrowding crisis.

Mr O'Brien also stated that he spoke to Leo Varadkar six times yesterday but didn't ask him for more money during the conversation.

You can listen to the full interview here:

Yesterday, our reporter Richard Chambers went to Beaumont Hospital to report on the overcrowding in the hospital there: