Colm Mullan Workers Party Representative for Downpatrick has called on the Executive to ensure health service staff get their pay uplift without having to take industrial action again this year.

Mr Mullan said it is ridiculous that hard working health care workers are constantly having to take protest action and industrial action including strike action to get their pay increases. They were promised that pay parity would be maintained, yet, nothing is forthcoming, last year the health minister was allowed to use funding for this financial year to settle the pay dispute. Leaving the health budget with a huge budget deficit for the 2026 financial year, and we are now in a situation that...