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Updated 17.55
IRISH EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT nurses have voted to take industrial action including a strike starting on 15 December.
This follows a ballot of members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation.
The action is being taken in protest against chronic overcrowding and a lack of resources.
Earlier today 92% of nurses backed the strike action, with 76% turning out to vote.
Speaking on RTÉ’s News at One earlier today, the INMO’s General Secretary Liam Doran described the striking nurses as “the most patient group of public servants ever known to mankind”.
This came in response to comment from the Minister for Health Leo Varadkar who said earlier today that almost 200 extra beds would be coming available by the end of the month and that the decision to take strike action was “disappointing”.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Sean O’Rourke programme, the INMO’s director of industrial relations Phil Ní Sheaghdha said the strike action was being taken by nurses in protest against “the constant overcrowding and health and safety issues that it poses to them”.
Under a framework agreed between the INMO and other interested parties, a period of three weeks was required to be given on any strike action.
The country’s 25 hospitals with emergency departments will be impacted by this and will see rolling work stoppages that will last between two to three hours.
A number of voluntary hospitals will also be impacted by the action.
A meeting is now set to take place between the HSE, voluntary hospitals, and the INMO in the next 48 hours to discuss further details – where it will be advised that the hospitals should be put off call when the action is ongoing.
The action has been coordinated to ensure that there will still be emergency cover around the country.
- First published 11.40am
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Tell us exactly what ‘outcome’ you want Jeffrey, you know, with precise details and all that.
We all know what you don’t want !
@offside again: Jeffery would be more than happy to rip up the Good Friday agreement if given a chance
@Alan Scott: Why not ?
The opening section states
“It is hereby declared that Northern Ireland in its entirety remains part of the United Kingdom and shall not cease to be so without the consent of a majority of the people of Northern Ireland voting in a poll held for the purposes of this section in accordance with Schedule 1.”
IN IT’S ENTIRETY…
Unionists and Loyalists have been let down and betrayed by the breaching of the Belfast Agreement….
The Belfast Agreement was actually “tweaked” to facilitate the NI Protocol
It is not ripped up…it has been shredded
@Alan Scott: Should have been ripped up many yrs ago considering how many times SF/IRA broke the rules in it . Their terrorists caught red handed in Central America training FARC rebels in 2003 .
@offside again: Jeffery wants a wall along the border, a bridge to Scotland, and all Catholic landowners evicted.
He realises the game is up. I wouldn’t be surprised if the British Government haven’t told him take your chances . They’ve had enough.
No donaldson you relic,you and your dup cronies are the only obstacle to the huge benifits the windsor framework provides,lets call a spade a spade,yee just cannot stomach playing second fiddle to michelle o neil,thats the brunt of the matter
@David Clarke: If it is really offers such “huge benefits” then why are so many nationalists in Northern Ireland still calling for a border poll then ???
Take your time ………..
Get to work, Mr Donalson. Stop procrastinating.
Unionism is dead…long live the new Republic!!!!
@liam preston: May the force be with you.
Since Feb 22 they have been trying to get what they want and clearly uk gov are not for turning. Time for DUP to get real
Harming their economy?
The only thing that’s harming their economy right now is the DUP.
Get back to work ya orange jaffa cake…
Tail wagging dog much?
“Not planning for failure” well, well they have already failed the majority of the people by stalling the installation of a Legislative Authority for NI.
The DUP and followers get strength from their sense of isolation…but from what are they isolated ? It seems they have a sense of dread of reprisal that if they were the minority in a 32 county Ireland they would then suffer as the nationalists did in the 6 counties. I think they should be called out on this if only to hear their position.
@JP: No they fear they would suffer as Protestants in the Free State Suffered
The largest exodus in Europe between the 2 World Wars
Sir Jeffrey is the best recruiting Sargent for Sinn Fein
@John Conforms: And you are the best recruiting agent for The Oxford English Dictionary.
It be great if they could be sent back and housed where the originally came from. Imagine the peace we would have on this lovely island. I imagine they would be far happier too. Lads you be even more British if yous move to mainland UK.
Delusional, you simply cannot plan for failure when you have already achieved it. It’s the first an only time I’ve ever agreed with Jeff.
They really are on an alternate Planet.
Why can’t they just be somewhat reasonable. Change is coming, everyone knows it. They need to adapt or extinction looms large. England s interest in our 6 counties is at an end. Poor Jeff is not reading the room. Dodo United Party, we know what happened to the poor old Dodo!!
Jeffrey do you hear the bell calling you from the mainland U.K. ? It’s at Westminter at Parliamentary buildings.
Don’t go blaming the Irish Government on this like you love doing.
Donaldson will have to get it into his head he will be playing second fiddle to Michel for a long time.
Hey ho here we go again
For whatever reason nationalists seem intent on pushing Loyalists back to a war footing.
@Gertrude Gilmore: sorry its the loyalists making all the threats.
The reality is that in a 32 county Peoples Republic DUP would be the largest party after the first election
@John Conforms: the reality is that the DUP is not even the largest party in Northern Irelamd
@John Conforms: not very good at maths there. I think you will find that Sinn Fein would be the largest party.
@liam Preston.
#NotMyRepublic
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