Nurses at an Intellectual Disability Services facility in Sligo have voted overwhelmingly for industrial action over the level of staffing there.

Up to 98% of INMO members working as Registered Nurses for Intellectual Disability (RNID) at Cregg House voted in favour of the action because of "management’s failure to conduct and complete the urgent staffing review requested by HIQA in June 2015".

The nurses will hold a lunchtime protest on Monday, March 21, at 1pm and have called on the public to join them.

INMO Industrial Relations Officer, Maura Hickey, said: "The situation that currently exists within Cregg House is unacceptable. As far back as June 2015 general management with responsibility for the facility committed to having the review 'as soon as possible'.

"Nine months’ later management have failed to complete the review. Our members are challenged daily to deliver safe and effective care. They often have to work late or through their breaks in a commitment just to deliver the service.

"The HSE are failing in their duty of care to both the clients and staff by failing to conduct this staffing review and putting in place safe staffing levels."

The INMO set out three questions for management:

What was the timeframe for completion of the review?

What measurement tool was going to be used?

Who was conducting the staffing review?