Almost 100 people have been waiting more than 24 hours on trolleys in emergency departments.
Figures from the INMO show 489 people are currently on trolleys or seats, including 15 in University Hospital Kerry, as the HSE continues to grapple with an overcrowding crisis.
Around 400 people were discharged from hospitals on Saturday.
Hospital staff worked beyond their contracted hours to clear as much of the backlog as possible. But many patients couldn't be discharged due to a lack of follow on care options.
That's despite about 1,000 beds lying empty in nursing homes across the county.
Tadhg Daly is the CEO of Nursing Home Ireland and says discharge slows at the end of the year.
Chief Clinical Officer at the HSE Dr Colm Henry says scheduled care is being cancelled to prioritise ED patients.
96 people were waiting more than 24 hours to be admitted.
University Hospital Limerick remains the most overcrowded hospital, with 48 people on trolleys.
