Midwives at the University Maternity Hospital Limerick are protesting outside the hospital over what they describe as inadequate and unsafe staffing levels at the hospital.
The midwives said care at the hospital is compromised because of a significant increase in activity, and the complexity of mothers who present at the hospital for maternity services.
The hospital deals with over 5,000 births a year.
The midwives are also concerned about a big increase in demand for neonatal services. There was a 22% increase in activity at the special baby care unit between May and August this year, and a 40% increase in June this year over 2014.
In addition, the hospital has lost expert midwives due to retirements, which have not been replaced, and the community midwife service in Limerick city has also been cut.
INMO Industrial Relations officer in the midwest Mary Fogarty, said the situation at the hospital is "chaotic" with unsafe levels of staffing in the emergency unit on a 24/7 basis and chaos in the elective activity list, with elective procedures being ordered on a 24-hour basis regardless of staffing levels.
She said staff had tried to engage with HSE management on the issues since February, but the midwives feel their concerns are not being taken seriously.
The University of Limerick Hospital Group said it recognised staffing deficits at the maternity hospital, but it rejected any assertion that the maternity services are unsafe for mothers and their babies.
It said that 55 midwives had been employed on permanent contracts and 13 graduates were recently offered contracts at the hospital.
Furthermore, advertisements had also gone out for 25 positions in general midwifery and 10 new neonatal nursing posts.
Both sides have now referred the issues in dispute between them to the Labour Relations Commission, however, despite this Ms Fogarty said a ballot of midwives for a work to rule will begin next week.
The Government announced this week, that the maternity hospital is to move to a site at the University Hospital in Dooradoyle, as part of their €27bn capital investment plan, so that all services are located on the one site.
However, the move will not happen until 2019 at the earliest.
