Simon Harris: Nurses’ pay claim is legitimate

The health minister has admitted that nurses have a legitimate pay claim against a backdrop of ongoing recruitment and retention difficulties within the workforce.

Addressing delegates at the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) annual delegate conference in Cork, Simon Harris said: “Trust me, I hear you on this. I want to work with you. That is why we successfully got agreement that this would be specifically considered by the Pay Service Pay Commission and it is why your organisation was invited to contribute to a specific module — their first — on nurses and midwives and other healthcare staff.”

Mr Harris said the commission’s report is due next month and “we must and we will act on this”.