Taoiseach says picket at Leinster House unnecessary as 100,000 workers plan strike

On the eve of a nationwide public-sector strike involving more than 100,000 workers, Taoiseach Michéal Martin said there is no need for a picket line outside Leinster House where the Dáil sits. He declined to confirm if he would cross a picket, emphasizing the importance of preserving parliamentary processes. Opposition parties have indicated they will not cross the line, but Martin did not make a firm pledge.

Union leaders, including Phil Ní Sheaghdha of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, criticised his remarks as dismissive and inflammatory. Martin countered that recent tax cuts and a €1.2 billion budget provision for public-service pay should make industrial action unnecessary. The Dáil’s business committee will meet to assess how the strike could affect parliamentary business, and further strikes by teachers are also being planned later in the month.