The Health Service Executive (HSE) says the recent hospital crisis will "negatively impact" on this year's waiting list targets.
It is aiming to reduce them by 18 per cent by December, under a €350m plan.
But the HSE's chief executive, Paul Reid, will cast doubt on that at the Oireachtas health committee today.
He will say there's been a surge in attendances at emergency departments and Covid hospitalisations - leading to some hospital care being curtailed.
Dr Denis McCauley, from the Irish Medical Organisation, doesn't think the waiting list targets will be met.
"The waiting lists had been going up though this Covid crisis." he continued.
"So this will have a significant impact on the plan.
"Will they go up? Or will they go down? We will just have to wait and see."
