Anyone hoping to call in to the Council, sit a driving test or keep a routine hospital appointment in Monaghan on Wednesday should think again, as a 24-hour national strike by public sector workers shuts down a wide range of services.
Monaghan County Council has advised the public that all of its offices and public buildings will be closed on Wednesday, 14 October, because of the industrial action. Public counters will not open and Council telephone lines will not be answered. Normal services are due to resume on Thursday, 15 October.
Emergency line stays open
The Council says emergency services will continue to operate, and its emergency phone line will remain available for urgent matters on 1800 121 121, a 24-hour freephone number. The notice does not list individual buildings, but it covers all Council offices and public buildings, so anyone planning to visit a Council-run facility on Wednesday should expect it to be closed.
Why the strike is happening
The stoppage is part of a nationwide dispute over a new public service pay deal. The last agreement expired in June. RTÉ reports that more than 300,000 workers, including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants, are expected to take part.
Fórsa says more than 100,000 of its members in local authorities, health, education, Government departments and State agencies will strike from midnight, at more than 7,000 workplaces. General secretary Kevin Callinan said a letter from the Public Expenditure Minister, Jack Chambers, on Monday "brought nothing new". SIPTU says nearly 70,000 of its public service members will strike, and it has already given notice of a second strike day on Wednesday, 21 October.
The Government says it is ready to negotiate. In a statement on Tuesday, it said the Minister had asked unions on Monday to postpone the action and enter talks at the Workplace Relations Commission, and that Budget 2027 had set aside €1.2 billion for a new pay agreement. Unions replied that the Minister's letter did not change his position.
What else will be affected
Schools: The main teaching unions, the INTO, ASTI and TUI, are all taking part, along with special needs assistants in Fórsa. RTÉ says most schools, colleges and universities will close for the day. Parents should already have heard from their own school.
Health: The HSE says all routine hospital appointments, planned surgeries and routine procedures are cancelled on Wednesday. So are community appointments such as physiotherapy, speech and language therapy, podiatry, routine public health nurse visits and dental services. Day centres for older people and disability day services will also be closed. Patients do not need to contact the HSE, which says appointments will be rescheduled. Emergency departments, ambulances, urgent cancer treatment and dialysis will continue, and injury units, GPs, GP out-of-hours services and pharmacies will be available as usual. In an emergency, ring 999 or 112.
Courts: The Courts Service says almost all court sittings in the country will be cancelled. The only exceptions are emergency domestic violence and childcare applications, Garda applications to remand people in custody, and urgent High Court injunctions.
Driving tests: Tests booked for Wednesday have been cancelled. The Road Safety Authority says it will contact applicants directly.
What stays the same
Gardaí and the Defence Forces are legally barred from striking, so policing will carry on as normal. Public transport is also expected to run as normal, according to RTÉ.
