Before Christmas, flu cases were surging, with more than 3,500 confirmed cases reported. That figure has since fallen, with 1,777 cases confirmed in the most recent week.

While the numbers may have plateaued, health officials are warning that pressures on the system are likely to continue in the weeks following Christmas.

To discuss this further among other issues that the country is facing, Emmet Oliver was joined by the Minister for Health, Jennifer Carroll MacNeill.