The Health Service Executive (HSE) has told staff it will not be able to pay certain types of expenses due to be paid next month as a result of its financial difficulties.
In a letter to trade unions tonight, the HSE's human resources department said it had been directed by the organisation's head of finance that staff travelling expenses, which fall due for payment in December, "should be deferred until January 2012 at the earliest".
"This decision arises because of the current state of the HSE finances as we approach the end of the current financial year".
The letter said the HSE was available for discussions on the matter if required.
Siptu condemned the HSE decision. In a statement, health division organiser Paul Bell said: "The HSE has today instructed that health workers in the community will not be paid outstanding monies incurred through travel and subsistence costs from the month of November and will have to wait until January 2012 at the earliest."
"We have members in homehelp services who are dependent on being reimbursed for their expense on petrol and diesel and many of these community carers work in rural areas.
"We also have nurses and other health professionals in multi-disciplinary teams travelling to sick and vulnerable people in the community. The decision of the HSE today can only be interpreted as health workers being instructed to bankroll the HSE and this decision is not acceptable to our members and will be resisted," he said.