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The strike has closed most schools, cancelled thousands of non-urgent medical appointments and shut down the majority of court sittings across the Republic of Ireland, according to RTE. Around 90,000 teachers from unions including the INTO, ASTI and TUI are taking part, leading to the shutdown of primary, secondary, third-level institutions and universities, Irish Central reported. Health services are among the worst affected, with roughly 32,000 nurses joining doctors, consultants and support staff in the action that has disrupted around 30 hospitals, a survey by The Irish Times found. Up to 150,000 medical appointments were expected to be cancelled as a result, government briefings cited by the newspaper indicated.
This marks the largest public sector strike in almost two decades, with participants representing roughly 5 percent of the population, Bloomberg reported. The dispute originated when the previous public service pay agreement expired without a successor on June 30, The Journal detailed in its account of the buildup. Work-to-rule measures involving more than 100,000 workers in health, education, local authorities and the civil service began on September 30 and expanded through early October as the Irish Congress of Trade Unions coordinated the full strike action on September 11.
Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers said pay can be discussed as a priority with trade unions ahead of the strike but described the stoppage as really unfair on the public. He told RTE the action would cause massive disruption. Taoiseach Micheál Martin stated he hopes to avoid a second strike day scheduled for October 21, adding that he believes the foundations are there for an agreement between the government and unions.
Fórsa general secretary Kevin Callinan said the union side was already looking beyond the current strike. “We’re as much focussed on next week’s strike as tomorrow’s and, indeed, beyond that,” Callinan stated. He told RTE that if the minister had met with unions over the past four months the strike could have been avoided, citing a fundamental breach of trust and loss of confidence in the industrial relations system. Unions are seeking a pay settlement that covers the uncovered period in 2026, protects living standards and addresses ground lost to inflation since 2021, The Irish Times reported.
The government has allocated 1.2 billion euros in Budget 2027 for a pay deal, yet unions have dismissed the figure as insufficient, according to RTE. Public sector unions have accused the government of failing to make meaningful commitments on pay since the last agreement ended, multiple outlets reported. Chambers indicated that talks with unions can absolutely begin with pay, in comments carried by RTE.
Emergency departments, ambulance services and critical treatments such as cancer care and dialysis will continue at reduced capacity, the HSE said. The action has also closed libraries, public parks and government offices while limiting driving tests and other services, Irish Central noted. Union sources have warned that the dispute could extend beyond the two planned strike days if negotiations do not advance quickly.
