Ms Phil Ní Sheaghdha:

That is welcome. In respect of the industrial action, all unions have their own constitutions setting out their rules, and the INMO has taken a decision that too many of our agreements with the employer have been broken and that our members are now working in circumstances that are causing significant health and safety risks to themselves. Fórsa has also got sanction from its national executive for the same decision, while other unions are at different stages. The national health sector trade unions will protest as one throughout the health service leading up to the ballots.

It is our intention to ask the public to help us here because what is happening in the health service is wrong. The current moratorium and cap on recruitment is going to lead to further poor and catastrophic outcomes for patients. We do not accept that. We do not accept it on behalf of all workers in the health service and we hope that, by coming here today and setting it out for this committee, the public will know we are on their side. This is not a pay claim. It is a desperate attempt to illustrate the folly of the current approach to the pay and numbers strategy, which is putting patient safety secondary and way down the list of priorities over and above balancing books into which we have no input regarding what is needed as representatives of those who work in the health service.