Nurses to protest as Harney visits Kerry General Hospital

Members of the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association are to stage a protest in Kerry today to coincide with a visit by the Minister for Health.

Mary Harney is due to open a palliative care centre at Kerry General Hospital this morning.

The move comes as members of the INO and PNA undertake a second round of one-hour work stoppages in pursuit of improved pay and conditions.

Ms Harney has rejected the nurses' demands, saying they must pursue any pay claim through the benchmarking process, which they say they have no confidence in.