Up to 6,500 psychiatric nurses will start industrial action today in a bid to end restrictions on recruitment.

The Psychiatric Nurses Association of Ireland (PNA) is running a 'work to rule' as part of a long-running dispute with the HSE over staffing levels in sector hospitals and community settings.

The union has said that over 700 nursing posts will be wiped out as part of the HSE's Pay and Numbers Strategy.

General Secretary Peter Hughes says a breakdown in communication has led to today's action.

“We've been left with no option but to embark on industrial election in the interest of maintaining services, basic services at that, and the development of mental health services into the future,” he said.

“We had been engaging with the WRC for a number of months, but we came to an impasse, as we could not get answers to the questions we had.”

A busy hospital. Image: Alamy

The PNA action comes ahead of a separate action by other healthcare unions who plan their own work to rule action on Monday.

Mr Hughes said the PNA are open to discussions but are prepared to go further to get what they want.

“We're back in the WRC tomorrow, Thursday, and if there's proper, meaningful engagement with an attitude to resolve this issue, then we won't need to escalate,” he said.

“But if we have to escalate, we will escalate to the point that we will have to withdraw complete goodwill and that would mean people not making themselves available for overtime, which would have a huge impact.”

PNA ambulance drivers striking in Dublin. 31/05/2019 Photo: Sam Boal/Rollingnews.ie