In a pre-budget submission to the Government the Irish Nurses Organisation, INO, has called for the creation of 8,000 new nursing and midwifery posts.
In its submission, published today, the organisation called also for an increase in the starting salary of newly qualified nurses to £19,687 per annum an increase of £1,800.
The initiatives are needed to address the continuing shortage of nurses and midwives which is lowering the quality of the Health Services, according to the INO.
It described the situation as ‘critical’ and said any pay initiatives must be implemented as a matter of urgency.
The organisation also called on Minister for Finance, Mr Charlie McCreevy, to raise the level of annual expenditure on the health service to at least 8 per cent of GDP.
INO General Secretary, Mr Liam Doran said the "health service is inadequate, in crisis and in immediate need of both significant investment and radical reform and we call upon the Minister to commence radical action in this budget by endorsing our dual action plan."