Strike begins at Dublin hospital

Nurses at St Columbcille’s Hospital in Loughlinstown, Co Dublin, have begun strike action over a dispute that has led to four staff being removed from night duty.

The Irish Nurses Organisation said management at the hospital has refused to discuss nurses’ complaints about excessive workloads.

Spokesman Philip McAnenly, said: "We’re trying to raise awareness here. We're trying to inject a sense of reality into the hospital management.

"We're trying to make them aware the workload is almost impossible and when you cut staff, the first thing that suffers is patient care."