Tipperary TD Jackie Cahill says Government needs to 'listen to nurses'

Fianna Fáil TD Jackie Cahill has said that the Government must start listening to what nurses are telling them if they are to avoid further strikes.

The Tipperary TD was commenting as almost 40,000 members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), including hundreds of Tipperary nurses working at University Hospital, South Tipperary General Hospital, Nenagh General Hospital, and in community and public health clinics went on a 24-hour work stoppage this Wednesday, January 30.

“The fact that they’ve decided to take this action shows just how frustrated they feel. The Government has repeatedly ignored nurses as they warned of the major problems with staff recruitment and retention and today is the result of that refusal to engage," he said.

Deputy Cahill said that Fianna Fáil had put forward a private members motion in the Dáil two weeks ago encouraging the Health Minister to enter proper discussions with the INMO. Unfortunately subsequent talks broke down as the INMO felt there were no genuine proposals being put forward to avert a strike.

“I’ve been talking to nurses around the county and they are at their wits end. None of them want to be on the picket line. They are deeply dedicated to their patients, but they feel they’ve been left with no other option," he said.

He said that the nurses were trying to provide professional care without the necessary support. The nursing profession had changed radically over recent years, yet nurses and midwives were still the lowest paid - core salary - graduate professionals in the health service.

The Government left it too late to avoid this Wednesday's strike, but it could still prevent the further five days of threatened action if it wanted to.

"The Government needs to start listening to what the INMO are telling them and engage meaningfully with the nurses,” said Deputy Cahill.