Healthcare workers in Ireland plan lunchtime protests and a potential industrial action ballot, citing unfilled positions and unsafe staffing levels.

Healthcare workers in Ireland are organizing lunchtime protests at hospitals in Dublin and Cork next week, preparing for a ballot on industrial action. Unions, including Fórsa and the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, cite thousands of unfilled positions and unsafe staffing levels as critical issues affecting patient care. They accuse the Health Service Executive (HSE) of exacerbating the situation by relying on costly agency staff amid ongoing recruitment challenges.