The winter of continuous industrial action is set to deepen, as nurses attached to the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) have voted overwhelmingly in favor of industrial action.
Nurses say that they will strike over a perceived failure to recruit and maintaining staffing levels, which they say is leading to severe staff shortages.
The strike will initially take the form of a work-to-rule action, and it may progress to work stoppages if the dire situation around Irish hospitals is not resolved.
It is estimated that about 150 beds remain closed across different medical facilities due to lack of staff.