20,000 care workers may strike over fee plans

The Government could face industrial action from up to 20,000 health and social care professionals over plans to introduce an annual registration fee of almost €300.

Impact trade union, which represents the health professionals who would be subjected to the €295 fee, has described it as an “employment tax” and vowed to do “whatever is necessary” to get the fee reduced.

Impact assistant general secretary Christina Carney told a conference in Dublin her union strongly supported the introduction of statutory registration, which would help deliver best-practice, high-quality health services, and the maintenance of outstanding professional standards.