Hospitals are actively discharging patients to free up beds ahead of the Pope's trip.

It's feared there could be a spike in casualties given the huge crowds coming to see the Pontiff next week.

As part of the Pope's two day visit - a major emergency plan has been put in place involving around 1500 Gardaí and more than 1000 medical staff.

Half a million people are expected to attend mass in the Phoenix Park along with a further 70 thousand in Croke Park for a special concert - including many elderly people.

As a result the main Dublin hospitals are actively discharging patients to make sure they can deal with extra admissions if needed.

However the HSE insists this will be carried out on a planned basis and patients will only be discharged if its medically appropriate.