Nurses are braving snow showers and freezing temperature at hospitals in Tipperary today as they take part in the largest strike in the history of the health service.
They are among 37,000 INMO members on the picket line in a dispute with the government over pay and staffing shortages.
Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation are on the picket line outside hospitals across the country today including South Tipp General and Nenagh Hospital.
A further five days of industrial action are planned over the next fortnight.
Patients are being urged to stay away from emergency departments today, and the HSE has cancelled 25,000 medical appointments.
Nurses on the picket line say the dispute is about more than pay.
Ann Moore from Nenagh Hospital says while decent pay levels will attract nurses back into the profession there are more pressing issues.
Patricia Malone, a member of the strike committee, spoke to Tipp FM outside South Tipp General this morning.
She says Taoiseach Leo Varadkar needs to listen to them.
Páraic Ryan from New Inn works at the Emergency Department at a hospital in Melbourne.
He moved there in October of 2017 having previously worked at South Tipp General.
Speaking on Tipp Today earlier Paraic said overcrowding was one of the reasons he emigrated.
Nenagh based Nurse Ann Moore says the overcrowding issue is something the general public possibly don’t fully comprehend.
The Health Minister has warned there’s no consequence free way to give nurses a pay rise.
Simon Harris has again insisted there can’t be any changes to current pay agreements.
The Minister says there are some things they can offer – but not a direct pay rise:
