‘spiral if pay demands met’

THE Health Minister has told the Dail the price of meeting nurses’ pay demands would tilt control of the public finances into an “unsustainable spiral”.

Addressing the Oireachtas in a special statement session yesterday, Simon Harris said: “The stakes in this dispute are high. I mentioned recently this situation is like a tightrope and it is.

“To agree to the demands of unions as they currently stand would tilt that handling of the public finances into an unsustainable spiral.

“This would damage our economy, our health service and ultimately public servants, including nurses, who we wish to support.”