Nurses and midwives to protest increased retention fees

Nurses and midwives are set to protest today against a 50 per cent increase in retention fees being sought by their regulatory body, The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Ireland (NMBI).

In a joint campaign, The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, Siptu and The Psychiatric Nurses Association have urged members to make no payment to the NMBI at this time in response to renewal notices sent out by the board.

The unions have called on members to attend a rally at the headquarters of the NMBI at midday.

The NMBI has said it is illegal for nurses and midwives to practise if their name is removed from the register for non-payment of the fee, which increases from €100 this year to €150 for 2015.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, which is campaigning to have the fee capped at the existing level of €100, has told its members they have up to the end of May 2015 to pay it.

The board says this is incorrect and the fee is due January 1st, 2015. The HSE has confirmed it will not be able to employ nurses and midwives without an annual retention certificate, issued on payment of the fee.

The board has said the decision to increase the fee was taken "after a democratic vote and much debate". It said that Minister for Health Leo Varadkar had made it clear it must be self-funding.