The Department of Health is to set up a working group to look at the possibility of giving nurses in Dublin an allowance for living expenses.
A spokesman for the Department said that the Minister, Mr Martin, wanted to examine the factors responsible for the shortage of nurses in Dublin. The working group would consist of representatives of nurses, employers and Departmental officials, he said.
Mr Oliver McDonagh, SIPTU national secretary, said that the move was significant, since initiatives dealing with the shortage of nurses, such as recruiting from abroad, would not be adequate if nurses could not afford to live in Dublin.
Mr Liam Doran, of the Irish Nurses' Organisation, said he acknowledged the Minister's fears that an allowance for nurses would have implications for other sectors. However, an allowance was necessary in view of the crisis in healthcare provision.