The government must urgently act to resolve industrial disputes involving tens of thousands of healthcare workers, according to Social Democrats TD Pádraig Rice.
Deputy Rice, who is the party’s health spokesperson, said:
“Today, 6,500 psychiatric nurses began industrial action in a dispute over unsustainable staffing levels.
“This is on top of the 80,000 healthcare workers set to begin a strict work to rule on Monday.
“At the core of this dispute is the Pay and Numbers Strategy. Unions have said that it was presented to them as a fait accompli, without any consultation or strategy document to underpin it.
“We have no idea what the pillars of this strategy are – we don’t even know if it is set down in writing. Yet this so-called strategy has had a major impact on our health service, leading to the introduction of severe recruitment caps, the abolition of thousands of funded posts and maternity leave vacancies left unfilled.
“Funded posts may have just disappeared overnight, but patient need has not. Since this decision was announced last year, we have seen no evidence to support the decommissioning of these posts.
“The government and the HSE can deny it all they like, but this is just a recruitment embargo by another name. Meanwhile, community waiting lists continue to spiral, infant developmental checks are being suspended, and radiotherapy machines are lying idle – all because of staff shortages and unfilled posts.
“Today, I asked the Taoiseach to immediately publish the document which underpins the Pay and Numbers Strategy – if one even exists.
“I also called on him to begin proper workforce planning and honour commitments to previously funded posts.
“It is time this government and the HSE started engaging constructively with unions. Otherwise, industrial relations will worsen.
“The simple reality is that you cannot have services without staff. We need safe staffing levels, not arbitrary recruitment caps.”
March 26, 2025