Psychiatric nurses have welcomed Mary Harney to their annual conference in Ballybofey, Co Donegal, as "the best-paid minister for health in Europe".
Liam McNamara, chairman of the Psychiatric Nurses' ssociation, whose members are operating work stoppages in support of their pay claim, also told Ms Harney yesterday she was "one of an elite group of public servants who have been given the highest percentage pay increases of any public servant in the last 10 years."
To tumultuous applause he told her: "I am delighted to note that you and your fellow Ministers have been able to sup at every table over the years: benchmarking, review group for the pay of higher civil servants etc."
He attacked what he called "scaremongering" by the Government and HSE management that patients were in danger during the nurses' dispute.
"This is rich coming from the Government. Nothing we have engaged in in the last week, this week, or for the weeks or months ahead, would compare with the gross neglect by the Government of our mental health services."
He claimed that since 1977, spending on psychiatric services had been reduced from 20. 7 per cent to 6.9 per cent of the health budget - a slashing of 66 per cent.
Mr McNamara also told the conference that while the last year had been long and arduous for nurses, it would also be seen as a historic period in the history of Irish nursing.
"It was the year in which nurses decided they were no longer going to be fobbed off. Let the Government be in no doubt this is a member-led and member-driven dispute."
He claimed support for the nurses was so strong that the ranks of the two unions involved had recently swelled considerably, boosting their combined membership close to 45,000.
He said: "The PNA/INO position is quite clear. All we are asking for is a level playing field, similar working hours to all other health care professionals and to our clerical and administrative colleagues all of whom work at most a 35-hour week with many working only 32 ½ hours."
He claimed a management ploy to "trash" and undermine the reputation of nurses had failed miserably. He received long applause when he said: "We are stronger than ever. We are not going away . . . If it takes a week, a month or three months, we will maintain the actions. We have prepared well. We are going to achieve our objectives and no patient will suffer."
Mr McNamara also claimed that Government expressions of how nurses were appreciated were just "lip service". The reality was the Government did not respect nurses, otherwise it would do something to prevent their haemorrhage from the health service.
He reminded Ms Harney of what the unions were prepared to do to break the deadlock in the dispute.
He said they were ready immediately to begin discussions on skills mix, rosters, team working, delegation, workloads, education and training requirements and flexibility.
The nurses had indicated they could "live with" a transition period of months rather than years and conditional on there being no reduction in the current number of nursing posts, nor were they seeking the employment of a further 4,000 nurses as the Minister had implied.