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Strike to delay social welfare payments
Payment to some 55,000 social welfare recipients will be delayed by a day as a result of the strike action by civil and public sector unions tomorrow.
Recipients who are paid through post offices are not expected to be affected.
All offices of the Department of Social and Family Affairs will be closed to the public tomorrow due to the industrial action.
Telephone lines will also be closed.
The vast majority of the over 1.3 million weekly welfare payments, which are made through electronic fund transfer, will not be affected, according to a statement from the Department.
However, about 35,000 people who are on short-term schemes and whose weekly payment is due this Wednesday will experience a delay of one day.
The delay will also affect a further 20,000 recipients who are paid by cheque.
The categories affected are maternity benefit, illness benefit, a small number of jobseekers payments and the supplementary welfare payment.
Recipients who are paid by Social Services Card through their post office are not expected to be affected; neither are those in receipt of disability allowance, and who are due to collect their payment on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, public sector trade unions are expected today to agree to return to talks with the Government aimed at securing €1.3bn of savings.
The public service committee of ICTU is scheduled to consider plans for further industrial action.
However, due to the flooding the Irish Nurses Organisation and the Psychiatric Nurses Association have decided to suspend the planned industrial action scheduled for tomorrow in Cork city and county, Ballinasloe, Co Galway and its immediate area.
The suspension of the planned action means that INO and PNA members are now being advised to report to work as normal in acute hospitals and all other services in these two areas.