More than 3,000 nurses across the north west are now five hours into their third 24-hour strike day.
They are picketing outside Sligo and Letterkenny University hospitals as well as other HSE facilities throughout the region.
Among those on the picket line in Sligo is the president of the INMO, Martin Harkin Kelly.
Nationally, more than 25,000 appointments, including for outpatients and day surgeries have been cancelled today as a result of the nurses’ dispute.
With three more strike days planned next week, the numbers of patients affected are going to increase.
And in this scenario, there arises the question of whether the current level of public support for the nurses will endure.
But INMO President Martina Harkin Kelly says the health service was given adequate notice of what was going to happen.
General Secretary of the INMO Phil Ní Sheaghdha says their members are still providing cover on strike days:
Meanwhile, there seems to be no end in sight to the dispute.
Martin Harkin Kelly says that only way there can be a resoluton is by meaningful proposals coming from the government:
However, Health Minister believes the dispute can be resolved but that it will require some imagination.
