Tag Archives: Nurses’ Strike

Mr Harris is expected to apologise to the Dáil later over the answers he gave to the house last year about the projected cost of the hospital.

It is expected that Mr Harris will tell the Dáil that he wishes he had told TDs a little more when they asked him about the cost of the children’s hospital last September.

Back then, the minister had seen documents suggesting the price was escalating, but he gave no hint of that in his answers.

Decent quiffage, in fairness.

Simon Harris focused on job as Cabinet discusses hospital costs (RTE)

Last night: Climbdown

Rollingnews



Minister for Health Simon Harris and Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe after the INMO announced that they have suspended three planned days of strike action this week following an intervention by the Labour Court.

Tonight.

Government Buildings, Dublin 2

Speaking at Government Buildings, Minister [Simon] Harris said the suspension will be welcomed by patients and nurses and midwives alike.

Mr Harris said the nurses did not take the decision to strike lightly, adding that he looked forward to the health service resuming normal work.

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said he will brief Cabinet on the financial impact of the Labour Court recommendation in the morning.

Also speaking at Government’s Buildings, he said that he hopes the recommendations would form the basis for the resolution of the industrial action.

Nursing unions suspend industrial action (RTÉ)

Rollingnews

Meanwhile…

Members and supporters of the irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) march in Dublin on Saturday

This morning.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation is due to hold three consecutive days of strike action from Tuesday to Thursday. It has already held three 24-hour strikes in its row over pay and recruitment and retention of nurses.

The talks broke up at 3.30am and by that stage the unions, health management, and the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform had briefed the court on their positions for three days.

Labour Court to decide on nurses’ strike intervention (RTÉ)

Meanwhile…

Sinn Féin Deputy Mary Lou McDonald and Minister for Health Simon Harris

Sinn Féin Party leader Mary Lou McDonald confirmed this morning that the party will publish a no confidence motion in Harris, after the party strongly hinted that it would do so over the weekend.

Sinn Féin to table no confidence motion in Simon Harris (Breakingnews.ie)

Yesterday: Meanwhile, In Wicklow

The Meaning Of Trapped

Saturday: Marching With Nurses And Midwives

Today’s Irish Daily Mail cover

Um.

Meanwhile…

Last night.

On RTÉ’s Prime Time.

The Minister for Health Simon Harris was interviewed by presenter Miriam O’Callaghan about the August 27, 2018 memo he released last night which showed he was told of a €391million potential cost overrun related to the building of the National Children’s Hospital but didn’t inform the Minister for Public Expenditure until November 2018.

He was also asked about the nurses’ strike.

Towards the end of their interview Ms O’Callaghan asked him if he had moved his position on the nurses calls related to pay and retention of staff “one iota” since the strikes began.

He said he thinks both sides need to move their positions, to resolve the matter, but added the following caveat:

“But it has to be in the confines of the [public sector pay] agreement. Or you’ll have me sitting in this seat next week asking me about a different group. It’s about finding common ground and I’m very confident we can do that.”

Watch back in full here.

Meanwhile…


This morning.

The Rotunda, Dublin

Nurses from the INMO (Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation) trade union on the picket line  on the second day of a planned series of one day strikes in support of better pay and conditions. Three further consecutive strike days are scheduled for next week.

Over 37,000 nurses in third day of strike action (RTÉ)

Leah Farrell/RollingNews














This afternoon.

Across Dublin.

More scenes from the second day of strike action by members of the irish Nurses and Midwives’ Organisation (INMO) at Our Lady’s Hospital for Children, Crumlin, Tallaght Hospital and outside the new site for New Childrens Hospital at St James Hospital in Dublin.

Earlier: This Won’t Hurt A Bit

Sam Boal/RollingNews





This morning.

Across Dublin.

Scenes from day two of the Nurses’ strikes, including Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) General Secretary Phil Ni Sheaghdha (above) outside the site of the new National Children’s Hospital and Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald (pic 3) with Nurses from the INMO (trade union on the picket line outside St James Hospital in Dublin .

More as we get it.

Sam Boal/RollingNews


INMO trade union picket line outside Beaumont in Dublin on Wednesday, the first day of a planned series of one day strikes in support of better pay and conditions.

This morning.

Yesterday: ‘The Government Is Taking Legal Advice’

From top: Today’s Irish Examiner, Fianna Fail deputy leader Dara Calleary, Tánaiste Simon Coveney in the Dáil this afternoon

This afternoon.

In the Dáil, during Leaders’ Questions, which were taken by Tánaiste Simon Coveney.

Fianna Fáil deputy leader Dara Calleary raised the nurses’ strike and asked what the Government has done in recent days to off-set the further strikes which are planned to take place next Tuesday and Thursday and in later weeks.

Mr Coveney repeated much of what the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said during Leaders’ Questions the past two days – namely that the Government “understands the resolve” of the nurses but the Government cannot give pay increases to one section of workers within the public sector pay service agreement without expecting another section to also seek pay increases.

He said the Government wants the State’s industrial relations mechanisms, chiefly the Labour Court, to work with nursing unions to come up with recommendations and he called on nursing unions to “fulfil their obligations” too.

He also noted the “extraordinary disruption” the strike action caused yesterday but thanked the nurses for their “huge cooperation” in providing essential services.

Mr Calleary asked Mr Coveney about an article on the front page of today’s Irish Examiner which claims that the nurses on strike “could see salary rises and pension increases under the existing pay deal frozen and blocked if they don’t call off their all-out strike”.

The article states:

“…Health Minister Simon Harris and a spokesperson for Finance Minster Pashcal Donohoe confirmed officials will “legally consider” imposing penalties in what will be seen as a hardline response to the industrial action.”

Mr Calleary asked Mr Coveney if he could confirm the contents of the article. He also put it to Mr Coveney that he “allowed” the story to be published.

Mr Coveney said the Government “doesn’t give permission to any paper” to print what they wish and that decision is taken by newspapers and their editors.

Mr Coveney confirmed the Government is “taking legal advice…consistent with the pay agreement that everybody signed up to with their eyes open”.

Watch Dáil proceedings live here

Ministers may block nurses’ pay incentives (Fiachra Ó Cionnaith, Catherine Shanahan, Evelyn Ring and Juno McEnroe)