Psychiatric nurses at St Ita’s Hospital in Portrane, Co Dublin, are to vote for possible strike action in protest at staff shortages within the hospital.
Following an emergency meeting of nursing staff in St Ita’s, Psychiatric Nursing Association (PNA) members will vote on staging industrial action up to and including strike action.
PNA branch secretary Michael Guilfoyle said staff shortages at St Joseph’s Intellectual Disability Service, located within the hospital, had made the situation “intolerable”.
“The community houses there are losing nursing staff who are then replaced by healthcare assistants, which impacts on the clinical care needs of clients,” said Mr Guilfoyle.
He said two permanent nursing staff at St Joseph’s had resigned after being denied career breaks for a child nursing course in Temple Street hospital due to staff shortages .