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Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 25 Mar 2003

Vol. 563 No. 4

Written Answers - IMO Industrial Action.

Jim O'Keeffe

Question:

433 Mr. J. O'Keeffe asked the Minister for Health and Children the number and range of preventative health programmes jeopardised by the current work to rule undertaken by public health doctors nationally. [7841/03]

In December 2002, the Irish Medical Organisation advised that its members would not participate in contingency planning for biological threats. More recently, the IMO advised my Department that from 10 March 2003 its members would refuse to co-operate with new work practices and programmes, step down from acting up positions and stop providing cross cover. The grades of doctors involved are directors of public health, specialists in public health medicine, senior area medical officers and area medical officers.

Information provided by the Eastern Regional Health Authority and the health boards indicates that the following activities have been affected to varying degrees in one or more regions by the dispute: surveillance, screening and control of infectious diseases including out of hours work; non-participation in various national committee meetings; contingency planning in relation to biological threats. Emergency cover in relation to infectious disease outbreaks is being provided by public health doctors.
On 20 March 2003, the IMO indicated that the public health doctors would defer serving notice for strike action for two weeks in view of the commencement of the war in Iraq. My Department and the Health Service Employers' Agency, HSEA, have met with the IMO in the Labour Relations Commission, LRC, on a number of occasions. An offer has been made to the IMO. In making this offer, my Department and the HSEA again strongly encouraged the IMO to stay within procedures, to call off this industrial action and, failing a resolution of the dispute at the LRC, to have the matter referred to the Labour Court for investigation. The IMO gave a clear indication that it was not disposed to having the matter referred to the Court. The HSEA is continuing its efforts to have a resumption of discussion at the LRC with the IMO.
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