Unions representing healthcare workers staging lunchtime protests say they're hoping to minimise disruption to services.
The Irish Nurses' and Midwives' Organisation (INMO), Fórsa and SIPTU will picket outside HSE headquarters in Dublin and Cork University Hospital (CUH) in response to ongoing recruitment restrictions in the sector.
The INMO claims 2,000 posts have been "effectively abolished" under the HSE's Pay and Numbers Strategy.
SIPTU Health Sector Organiser Damian Ginley told Newstalk Breakfast the protests are the first steps in their campaign.
"Today the first protests are due to commence in Dr Steevens Hospital in Dublin - which is the head office of the HSE - and also in Cork University Hospital at lunchtime today," he said.
"They're the first step in a campaign of protests that are being organised for the next number of weeks."
Mr Ginley said they're trying to minimise patient disruption.
"The approach we've adopted... is one of lunchtime protests so our workers and members will be coming out during lunchtime in their own time to highlight to the HSE their concerns," he said,
"So we're trying to minimise, to the greatest extent possible, any impact on services as part of these protests".
Filling gaps
Mr Ginley said they are also concerned about contractors being brought in to fill gaps in the HSE.
"Within SIPTU we represent a multitude of grades including support grades [and] healthcare support assistance grades," he said.
"Within the data we've extracted from the HSE census, it's very evident that there's a significant slowdown in recruitment in relation to those grades which then results in the inevitable use of agency [workers] and also use of contractor [workers]."
Mr Ginley said the wider support grades include porters, caterers and cleaners.
"In January 2023 we had 10,189 whole-time equivalents across the country - as of July 2024 that figure has increased by 19 whole-time equivalents," he said.
"In the intervening period agency spend has gone up across the country".
Mr Ginley added there are currently "in the region of" 60 support staff vacancies at CUH.
