The Minister for Health, Mr Cowen, hinted yesterday that the Government would be prepared to meet nurses' unions in advance of tomorrow's strike if they abided by existing agreements.
He said if the Nursing Alliance accepted the Labour Court principles, "then obviously there is a prospect of people being able to pursue an agenda which need not involve confrontation".
Speaking on RTE Radio's This Week, he rejected suggestions of a division within the Government on how to handle the dispute. "It has always been the Government's position that if the Nursing Alliance unions recommit themselves to social partnership, acknowledge that we cannot pursue issues in isolation from the wider public sector pay implications, [and] acknowledge that we cannot tear up existing agreements - if that is the position of the Nursing Alliance, then clearly there's a whole range of possibilities open to them to pursue their agenda."
He said the Government's position was not harsh. "The uncompromising and absolutist approach has been adopted by the Nursing Alliance who are insistent on going on strike in spite of the fact that there are other options available to them."