SIPTU has called on the Government and Health Service Executive (HSE) to assist workers being made redundant due to the closure of Mount Carmel Hospital, Dublin, in finding new jobs in the Health Service.

SIPTU Health Division Organiser, Paul Bell, said: “Every effort must be made to assist these highly skilled workers to find employment within the Health Service. We cannot afford to lose these people’s abilities and the HSE must facilitate them in finding employment in positions in which their skills can be fully utilised.

“We also need the Department of Social Protection to fast track their benefits because it is currently unclear when these workers will receive the redundancy payments due to them.”

SIPTU Organiser, Kevin Figgis, said: “The loss of this hospital and its skilled staff is a deeply unfortunate and we believe unnecessary blow to the Health Service. In respect of their loyal service we are calling upon the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton, to ensure they receive their outstanding redundancy payments as promptly as possible.”

SIPTU representatives are involved in ongoing talks with the provisional liquidators appointed to the Mount Carmel Hospital by the High Court on Friday (24th January). SIPTU represents workers from several grades at the hospital which has a total workforce of over 300.