It has been established health service policy that public health specialists should be afforded consultant status following the publication of the Crowe Horwath report on the specialty in December 2018. The ballot was held after the High Court found legally -binding sectoral employment orders negotiated between employers and unions on pay and conditions were unconstitutional. On foot of their case a proposed sectoral employment order for the electrical contracting sector was deemed void. Connect said on Monday that members in the electrical contracting sector backed industrial action by 94 per cent, in the mechanical contracting sector by 96.7 per cent and in the construction sector by 97.5 per cent. The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has been campaigning for some time for public health to become a consultant-led service and for public health specialists be awarded consultant contracts “to reflect their expertise and specialist skills”.

Source: The Irish Times September 14, 2020 21:11 UTC