The Irish Dental Association has today decided to accept an invitation from the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) to attend talks this afternoon on a potential new public service pay agreement.

The Association will be attending the WRC on behalf of public-only dentists and specialists, and has agreed to lift the threat of further strike action. The Association’s public-only dentists embarked on strike action last week for the first time in the history of the Association.

The IDA had received 95% backing from members in recent weeks to support the public service pay dispute, with a further 98% of members backing a proposal to take all necessary actions to resist and reverse any unilateral changes to HSE public dental services.

IDA Chief Executive, Mr Fintan Hourihan stated:

“Members are concerned at the disastrous consequences of previous HSE re-organisations of public-only dental services in 2004 and 2011, the collapse in dental staffing levels over the past two decades while all other services have expanded, and the increasing use of agency workers instead of replacing vacancies by recruitment of direct replacements.

“The Association will be seeking absolute assurances that there will be no privatisation of public-only dental services by the HSE, a commitment to increase staffing levels and to manage change by agreement with the Association rather than enforcing change by dictat.”