Members of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) have voted to accept the Lansdowne Road agreement.

INMO members voted 71% in favour of the proposals.

They said that although they accepted the measures the amount of pay restoration is small and the absolute minimum that they would accept.

They also say that the government must now use the current economic growth to recruit more staff.

INMO General Secretary, Liam Doran, said:

“It was quite clear, from the workplace meetings held over the last six to eight weeks, that morale, in our health service, continues to be very low and members have not yet felt the benefits of any economic recovery. Members told us, repeatedly, that, although accepting the terms of the agreement, they viewed the measures, with regard to pay restoration, as being very small and the absolute minimum that was required.

"They also told us that the government must now use the benefits, of economic growth, to recruit staff against the backdrop of pay moderation within this agreement. Over 5,000 nursing/midwifery posts were lost and, while recruitment has now recommenced, all of these posts must be restored in the shortest possible timeframe."

Mr. Doran added that the government must "acknowledge this commitment of nurses and midwives by actively recruiting, with dynamic incentives, to attract our recently emigrated nurses and midwives back to this country, as an absolute priority."