Mass public-sector strike set for 14 October across Irish hospitals, schools and services

A large-scale industrial action is scheduled for Wednesday 14 October, with public-sector staff across Ireland planning an all-out strike that could see as many as 400,000 workers walk out. The dispute stems from the lapse of the Public Service Agreement 2024-2026, leaving pay terms unsettled and prompting unions such as Fórsa and Siptu to call for action. In the health sector, roughly 11,000 staff in thirty hospitals—including Beaumont and Cork University Hospital—will suspend routine services, though emergency care, urgent cancer treatment and dialysis will remain operational.

Teachers at primary, secondary and tertiary levels, represented by INTO, ASTI, TUI and others, will close schools and hold pickets, while civil servants and local authority employees will also strike, with limited coverage for emergency situations. Some services, like the Road Safety Authority’s driving tests, have already been cancelled, whereas public transport and semi-state companies such as An Post and ESB will continue operating. A backup strike day on 21 October is slated if talks do not produce a pay deal, and the government has earmarked €1.2 billion in the 2027 budget for a new agreement.