Primary and Secondary schools have shut today as teachers take to picket lines.
More than 30,000 public sector workers including nurses, doctors, teachers and civil servants will take part in a 24-hour strike over delays in agreeing a new public sector pay deal.
Teaching unions such as INTO, ASTI, TUI and IFUT are all taking part in the strike today. As a result, most schools, colleges and universities have closed for the day. Special Needs Assistants that are represented by FORSA are also on strike.
According to the Journal, this is the largest public sector strike since the height of the financial crisis in 2009.
Today's strike was put in place after trade union leaders rejected the government's offer of Workplace Relations Commission talks.
The strike is part of a broader wave of industrial action launched on September 30 over pay disputes following the June expiration of the public sector collective agreement.
If required, a second strike day will take place on Wednesday October 21st, according to a recent report by the Journal.
Thousands of medical appointments have been cancelled as a result of the strike, with the Executive warning of widespread operational disruption.
All non-urgent healthcare services across hospital and community settings are expected to be called off, affecting routine procedures, outpatient clinics, day services, primary care, and other scheduled treatments.
The HSE said in a statement, as by quoted by RTE: "Emergency departments, ambulance services (curtailed service) and other critical, time-sensitive healthcare services, such as urgent cancer treatment and dialysis, will continue. GPs, GP out-of-hours and pharmacists will remain available in the community."
Dentists that work in the HSE will also be joining the strike for the first time.
Leinster House is closed due to the industrial action. As a result, sittings of both the Dáil and Seanad along with all scheduled Oireachtas Committee hearings have been suspended for the day.
The Clerk of Dáil Eireann Elaine Gunn wrote in a letter to TDs and senators: "Members are advised that all buildings on the campus, including Leinster House, will be closed on the day for health and safety reasons and security considerations associated with opening and closing buildings," RTE has reported.
It is also expected that there will be disruptions to some bus routes. The National Bus and Rail Union announced that Dublin Bus and Bus Éireann employees are not participating in the strike but have been instructed to not pass picket lines.
