The Irish Nurses' Organisation has sought an urgent meeting with the Tanaiste and Minister for Health, Ms Harney, to discuss the overcrowding crisis in accident and emergency units across the State.
In a strongly-worded letter sent to Ms Harney INO general secretary Mr Liam Doran said he had been asked to express the "deepening sense of frustration and anger which continues to grow amongst our members working in A&E departments".
The letter also said the organisation's Executive Council has been asked to give the go-ahead to a lunchtime protest, on Tuesday, February 22nd next, outside all A&E units where severe overcrowding continues to occur at that time. The Council meets on Tuesday, February 15th.
The letter said that at the meeting with the Tanaiste the INO wished to get an update on progress to implement Ms Harney's ten p[oint plan on reducing overcrowding. The group is also seek details of the timeframe envisaged by the Government for the full implementation of key elements of the Health Strategy and the Primary Care Strategy.
The INO also wants an immediate lifting of the employment ceilings and the introduction of measures at the end of the year to deal with the "inevitable exacerbation of the shortage of nurses" that is expected to arise from the fact that there is no graduating group of nurses this year.
The letter, released to media this afternoon, states: "The INO recognises that, as Tanaiste and Minister for Health and Children, you are committed to resolving the problem facing our A&E services.
"However, following a detailed assessment of the situation, while welcoming your ten point plan we do not believe that it, of itself, will fully address this crisis.
"In addition, as you can see from the issues we want to discuss with you, at this emergency meeting, we are urgently seeking to establish when, and where, the additional beds and primary care services required to ultimately deal with this problem will be introduced/ established."
SIPTU today warned it may take industrial action unless the Tánaiste comes up with "real and lasting solutions" to the crisis in accident and emergency units.
The union's national nursing council said there was "absolutely nothing new" in the Ms Harney's 10-point plan and that nurses would no longer tolerate being "fobbed off".
Mr Oliver McDonagh, SIPTU nursing official, said that during Mr Micheal Martin's tenure in the Department of Health, A&E units underwent "review after review" and yet the crisis continued.
She said: "2004 was the worst year in the history of our health services and 2005 looks set to be even worse. There is very little in the Tánaiste's plan - other than more reviews of a situation that has been reviewed to death," he said.
He said an average of 300 patients a day were now sleeping on trolleys in A&E departments and that this had become accepted as "the norm".
Mr McDonagh said SIPTU had sought a meeting with Ms Harney to discuss the issue and was committed to a lasting campaign that would deliver "action or else".
The Irish Nurses' Organisation said today that 239 people are on trolleys. Some 34 people are on trolleys in Tallaght hospital in Dublin.