THE HSE is to defer all non-emergency procedures and re-schedule out-patients appointment planned to take place next Tuesday because of the national public service strike.
In a letter to health sector trade unions, the HSE also said there would be restricted in-patient activity across the system on Tuesday when more than 40,000 nurses as well as thousands of other professional and administrative staff are expected to stop work for the day in protest at proposed Government pay cuts.
However, doctors are not taking part in the strike.
The HSE also maintained in the letter that in the interest of patient safety it was seeking specific derogation from the strike action.
Rank and file gardaí are also expected to support the planned national public service strike.
Members of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), like all members of the Garda force, are banned from taking strike action and have decided not to engage in a blue-flu style protest on the day of action.
However, The Irish Timesunderstands circulars are being sent to GRA members informing them that the national executive of the association has decided on a "graduated" series of actions in protest at further cuts to Garda remuneration.
The GRA, which represents about 12,000 members of a Garda force of 14,500, is anxious that rank and file gardaí are seen to take some form of action in support of their Frontline Alliance colleagues.
The Dáil will sit as normal next Tuesday despite the severe disruption that will be caused by public servants based in Leinster House joining the National day of protest called by trade unions.
The Oireachtas yesterday confirmed that the majority of the 800 staff working in the Leinster House complex are members of unions participating in the protest.
Government Chief Whip Pat Carey said there will be a sitting but that it would be limited by the lack of resources available. He said, for example, that it would not be possible to include any amendments to any legislation being debated because of the lack of support staff.
He also confirmed that there would be no stenographer services. “The proceedings will be taped and the record of what has been said will be made available at a later date,” he said.
Meanwhile, the public services committee of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) is to meet today to consider proposals for a second phase of strike action before the budget on December 9th.
General secretary of Ictu David Begg said he did not see anything on the table that would alter the decision of the public sector trade unions to hold next week’s one-day stoppage.
