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Joint Statement by the Ministers for Health and Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform on the current nursing dispute

The Ministers for Health and Finance and Public Expenditure & Reform note with disappointment that further strike action by the INMO is going ahead tomorrow and Thursday.
The Government has always listened to the concerns expressed by nurses in relation to working conditions and job satisfaction as well as the patient experience.
The Ministers continue to be willing to engage in talks on the range of workplace related issues other than pay to try to resolve the dispute. This initiative could focus on the contribution and arrangements for the further roll out of the Safe Staffing Framework to improve staff and patient outcomes and reduce reliance on agency staffing in our hospitals. In addition, this engagement would encompass other relevant organisational issues appropriate to supporting quality and efficiency in the provision of patient service delivery in an integrated way.
The Ministers call for immediate engagement in the context of the current dispute with relevant union interests and understand that the Workplace Relations Commission remain available to facilitate the parties in this regard.