Schools close, medical appointments cancelled and council services curtailed in row over pay deal
Widespread disruption is expected across Meath tomorrow (Wednesday) as several thousand public sector workers in health, education and local services take strike action in a pay dispute with the government.
Short of a last minute resolution, schools will close, many medical appointments will be cancelled, libraries will close and council services curtailed as Meath workers join up to 400,000 public servants striking across the country.
The action is part of a coordinated response by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) involving nineteen affiliated unions.
Meath's primary and secondary schools will all be closed tomorrow as members of the Irish National Teachers Association, the Association of Secondary Teachers of Ireland and the Teachers Union of Ireland join the picket lines. There will also be significant and widespread disruption to health services across the region as the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Medical Organisation join the strike, along with support staff, the ambulance service, health and social care professionals and dentists.
The HSE is currently planning for the cancellation of all non-urgent healthcare services across hospitals and community settings tomorrow. This includes routine hospital procedures, outpatient appointments, community based services such as day services, clinics in primary care services and other scheduled care services.
More than 1,900 members of the Forsa Trade Union in Meath working across local authorities, health and welfare services, education, government departments and state agencies will join the pickets while thousands of SIPTU workers in hospitals, local authorities, educational facilities, fire services and many other core services have decided to join in the action.
Meath County Council Civic Offices, tourism offices and public libraries across Meath will be closed, as will Kells Swimming Pool.
The Navan Municipal District meeting scheduled for Wednesday morning has been postponed.
Members of the public are advised they can continue to contact the Council by phone and email. Arrangements will also be in place to respond to emergency situations.
Members of the public requiring urgent assistance outside normal office hours can contact the Council's out of hours phone service on 1800 445 335.
The Council will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates through its website and social media channels if required.
A second strike is also scheduled for 21st October.
The HSE has said healthcare teams have now begun to contact affected patients directly. All appointments will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Emergency departments, ambulance services (curtailed service) and other critical, time-sensitive healthcare services, such as urgent cancer treatment and dialysis, will continue.
People requiring urgent medical attention should not delay seeking care and dial 999 or 112 or attend their nearest Emergency Department.
GPs, GP out-of-hours and pharmacists remain available in the community.
SIPTU Deputy General Secretary, Adrian Kane, said “The last public service pay agreement expired in June. The Government should have begun negotiations well before it ended. Instead, its failure to act has left public service workers falling further behind as rising prices erode the value of their pay.
“Unions want to enter negotiations. However, we need a guarantee that the value of members’ wages that has already been lost in 2026 will be restored.
"Public service workers deliver the services on which the whole country depends. They deserve fair pay and the people who rely on those services deserve proper investment."