Both Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin have urged the government to step in and resolve the current nursing dispute with nursing staff.
In a frank exchanges with the Taoiseach Leo Varadkar, both Mícheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald have urged the Taoiseach and the Minister for Health Simon Harris to engage with union representatives in order to put an end to schedule strike action.
The calls come as 37,000 nurses took to the picket lines on Wednesday in protest over staffing shortages and pay issues.
Mr Martin who accused the Government of being denial over the current recruitment and retention issues in the sector, said that the 11th hour approach to the problem wasn’t enough and too late.
The Fianna Fáil leader who had also called for a quick solution, told the Dail that the Government were wrong not to listen to nursing unions concerns and that it was also wrong to say that any deal would come at expense of patients in regards to funding for medicines.
Meanwhile Ms Mcdonald also called in the Government to address the issue quickly and she urged the Taoiseach to get off the sidelines and get involved in negotiations with the nursing unions.
The comments from the two party leaders come after the Taoiseach told the Dáil on Wednesday that he will not borrow money to fund any pay increases.