Nurses and midwives protest over hike in registration fees

About 800 nurses and midwives from across the country were protesting outside the Nursing board headquarters in Blackrock, Dublin today against registration fee hikes.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, SIPTU and the Psychiatric Nurses’ Association all say a planned 50% increase in the €100 annual fee paid by their members every year is "unjust".

They say registration for other health professionals will remain unchanged until at least 2017.

NOW: SIPTU Nurses and Midwives fighting for the health services & those who provide them! #No2NMBIincreases pic.twitter.com/RNelzyRG8P

— SIPTU (@SIPTU) November 18, 2014

The country's three main nursing unions have handed in a letter to An Bord Altranais in protest at the "unfair" increase in registration fees.

INMO General Secretary Liam Doran says his members won't pay the increased rate.

"They (the Nursing Board) don’t understand that nurses and midwives have got to be treated the same as other health professionals," Mr Doran said.

"We don’t have a problem in paying a fee, but that fee has got to be equitable.

"We're calling upon our members to pay €100 next year - not to pay the €150 - and (this protest) will continue until the regulatory body sees sense."