Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) working in the public service have voted overwhelmingly (95.6 per cent) in favour of industrial action following a six-week, in-person ballot.
Nurses and midwives were balloted on the non-filling and delayed filling of vacant and suppressed posts. Over 2,000 nursing and midwifery posts were left unfilled in the public health system at the end of 2023.
INMO president Caroline Gourley said: “INMO members have sent a clear message to the HSE and the Department of Health that nurses and midwives are no longer willing to accept pausing the hiring of much-needed safety critical staff in a weak attempt to balance the books.
“All autonomy has been stripped from directors of nursing and midwifery to recruit additional nurses and midwives, yet they are the ones who are expected to ensure a safe service.
“We cannot wait any longer, patients deserve a properly staffed health service that is not…
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