‘No talks if psych nurse is not back at work’

The Psychiatric Nurses Association has said it will not take part in talks designed to defuse a row over the opening of a psychiatric facility unless a nurse put off duty for airing his concerns in the media is allowed return to work.

Union general secretary Des Kavanagh described as “horrendous” the idea of putting a nurse who was a shop steward off duty for speaking out.

“We advised the employer [the HSE] and the Labour Relations Commission that there is no way we could engage in any kind of discussions when a member of our negotiating team has been put off duty,” he said.