At least 160 beds are to be closed at hospitals across the State in the coming days. The closures, which come on top of more than 360 earlier this year, are part of the usual round of summer closures, health boards said.
The North Eastern Health Board said it would close 25 beds at both Cavan and Navan hospitals, as well as a five-day ward with 25 beds at Dundalk Hospital. The closures begin on Monday.
A spokeswoman said the board closed beds every year at this time to facilitate staff leave and to reduce the need to take on temporary staff to cover for them. It also gave an opportunity to conduct minor repairs.
The beds being closed in Cavan and Navan are surgical beds, and as a result elective surgery will be restricted.
The Western Health Board indicated up to 60 beds would be affected by its round of "seasonal" ward closures.
It has already closed about 60 beds for refurbishment purposes.
The Southern Health Board is to close a 24-bed ward at Cork University Hospital on June 23rd for 10 weeks. A further six ophthalmic beds will close for two months.
The hospital said the temporary closure would facilitate the co-ordination of staff leave, thus ensuring costs for locum staff are kept to a minimum.
Both the North Western and South Eastern Health Boards also confirmed there would be seasonal bed closures in their regions, but the exact number of beds affected has not yet been finalised.
Meanwhile, it has emerged that more beds have been closed at Our Lady's Hospital for Sick Children in Crumlin, Dublin, this year than previously thought. Official figures released by the Eastern Regional Health Authority show 37 beds have been closed. Up to now the official figure was 25.
Children had to wait overnight for beds in the hospital's A&E unit for the first time last week.
The ERHA's figures show a total of 230 beds have been closed in its region so far this year. They include 13 in Tallaght hospital, 45 in Beaumont, 93 at the Mater, 10 at St Vincent's, 32 at James Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown and 37 in Crumlin.
More closures are likely at these Dublin hospitals over the summer months as the five main Dublin teaching hospitals indicated last month they would have to close 250 beds between them because of funding problems.
Fine Gael's health spokeswoman, Ms Olivia Mitchell, said the bed closures were a scandal. Labour's health spokeswoman, Ms Liz McManus, said the extent of cutbacks was "reaching catastrophic proportions".