The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) may have played their strongest card when they launched their ill-fated work-to-rule and work stoppages last year — but they are not without more options for protest.

Instead of a national protest, it is likely the nurses would concentrate on some form of disruptive action at local hospital level, in response to incidents of overcrowding or understaffing.

When they submitted their claims last July, after failing to secure a 10.5pc pay rise outside benchmarking, they had substantially increased their earlier demands by seeking a hike of nearer 20pc. It would amount to more than €6,000 a year, bringing the salary of a staff nurse in line with therapy grades in the health service.

The nursing unions touched on a deep sense of grievance, and justified this by saying they now undergo a four-year degree, similar to therapy professions, such as physiotherapists and occupational therapists. But they argued the starting salary point for a nurse is €6,000 less per year. Read more