The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) is to hold a national rally, as a dispute over pay and staff shortages escalates.

Additional strike dates have been announced, on top of those already planned.

Week two of the strike, next Tuesday and Thursday, will see the number of services on strike increase from 82 to 240.

The INMO executive council has announced extra strike days on February 19th and 21st.

It is also organising a "national rally" on Saturday February 9th.

Members are demanding pay increases and Government action on staff shortages.

The dispute is centred on pay issues and working conditions within Irish hospitals, which unions have warned are causing the recruitment and retention crisis in the health service.

Nurses are demanding pay increases of about 12% - and for the Health Service Executive (HSE) to take steps to deal with recruitment and retention issues.

The Government has insisted it will not do a special deal for health workers, and said any pay increase would open the floodgates for other public service unions to seek the same.

'Irish people stand with nurses'

Some 37,000 nurses and midwives took to the picket lines for 24 hours last Wednesday.

While 25,000 medical appointments were cancelled, the HSE has said it will contact those affected to re-schedule within the next two to three weeks.

The INMO general-secretary is Phil Ní Sheaghdha: "Nurses and midwives proudly stood up in defence of our patients and professions last Wednesday, but the Government has responded with threats and intransigence.

"Everybody - except the Government - recognise that there is a serious understaffing problem in our health services.

"The public support for the strike on Wednesday showed that the Irish people stand with nurses and midwives.

"Our message is clear. We will not be going away: resolving this dispute requires direct engagement from the Government, recognising the real recruitment and retention problems in Irish nursing and midwifery."