The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO ) is calling for the HSE to immediately honour its obligations, arising from employment contracts, and pay all outstanding moneys due to public health nurses, community nurses and other HSE staff.
A spokesman stated: “The announcement, that it would not pay travel and subsistence costs, was made without any consultation. This demonstrates the failure of the HSE, at the highest level, to understand the everyday financial pressures now being faced by frontline staff, who are not high earners, in paying their own bills.
“Apart from this abject failure, this action also amounts to a breach of the employment contract and the current Public Service Agreement by the HSE. This is not the first time the HSE has acted in this high-handed manner.
“This unacceptable approach to staff is just the latest example of the HSE’s approach to agreements. It is further confirmation they simply do not understand the stresses community based staff are under, as workers and citizens, while they strive to provide essential services in the community.
“The INMO has over 2,500 members working in the community, who, every day, call to people’s homes providing care that keeps people independent and out of hospital. It is a requirement for these members to have a motor car to perform their duties. The HSE must meet its contractual obligations with regard to covering the costs incurred by these staff who are not high earning public servants.
“The INMO notes the statements of two Government Ministers on this issue, namely Minister James Reilly and Minister Brendan Howlin, and we are now calling upon the HSE to reverse this decision immediately, and pay all expenses due to their staff.”
INMO General Secretary Liam Doran added: “The INMO is scheduled to meet with the CEO of the HSE and his senior team, next week. If this flawed and unfair decision is not reversed then this will be the first item on our agenda. It is not possible for the HSE to expect staff to ignore the actions of any employer who is overtly willing to break agreements and contracts of employment.”
