Fórsa has said the HSE’s new acute waiting list action plan, published last week, must focus on the community-led, integrated care plan central to Sláintecare or face failure. The plan aims to reduce projected acute waiting lists by 150,000. The union has welcomed the initiative, which identifies a number of actions designed to reduce a projected spike in waiting lists toward the end of this year. But it warned that failure to utilise the integrated care model, where service users can access initial treatment in a community setting, will prolong reliance on acute hospitals and drive up waiting lists. The Sláintecare […]

SIPTU General Secretary, Joe Cunningham, has said that the report of the Pensions Commission has vindicated the union’s campaign against the increase in the state pension age to 67 years from 1st January, 2021. However, he said that if the Government attempts to legislate for the recommendation by the Commission to increase the state pension age from 2028, it will only ensure that the issue will continue to be a subject of public concern and controversy, in advance of the next election. “We may not have prevented the increase in the pension age but the campaign by SIPTU and the […]

Fórsa has raised concerns about ongoing staff shortages in Dublin fire brigade with the Health and Safety Authority (HSA). This came after Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) talks aimed at alleviating staffing problems collapsed last Monday (27th September). The union highlighted a serious shortage of fire brigade staff – estimated to be 20% – in the WRC talks. It said this was placing both the public and firefighters at risk. The union presented its concerns to the Health and Safety Authority yesterday, and highlight the unsafe conditions associated with staff shortages in the emergency service. Dessie Robinson, who heads Fórsa’s two local […]