Psychiatric nurses have voted in favour of taking industrial action - up to and including strike action.

Members of the Psychiatric Nurses Association voted 95% in favour of taking action.

The dispute is over the recruitment and retention crisis in the health service.

The PNA is calling on both the Department of Health and the HSE to engage with them in a bid to resolve the issue.

In a statement, the organisation said members voted for the action "in protest at the continued failure of the government to bring forward realistic proposals to address the recruitment and retention crisis in nursing".

The association says it will now reflect on the outcome of the ballot and present a plan to the board when they next meet on January 10th.

Earlier this year, members of the PNA voted overwhelmingly to reject proposals from the Public Service Pay Commission - with the association suggesting the pay proposals were 'totally inadequate'.