NI health workers 'will get their pay rise'

John O'Dowd says he is working with the health minister on the issue

Healthcare workers in Northern Ireland "will get their pay rise", Stormont's finance minister has said.

John O'Dowd told the Northern Ireland Assembly he was working with the health minister "to look for ways for securing the pay uplift".

He was speaking after the health minister earlier this month warned nurses could be "on the streets by mid-November", taking strike action.

Mike Nesbitt signed off £200m for pay awards in May, but said the funding would need to be found outside his department due to financial pressures.

Health pay is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. In recent years, health workers have gone on strike to campaign for pay parity with colleagues in the rest of the UK.

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) in Northern Ireland has already lodged a formal dispute over this year's pay award for its members not being implemented.

Mike Nesbitt signed off £200m for pay awards in May

Responding to questions in the assembly, O'Dowd said: "We all want to see health workers get their pay rise that they deserve.

"They should not be in the position of having to consider strike action to get pay awards that they are entitled to."

The Sinn Féin minister accused the UK government of "failing to provide sufficient funding for public services".

"I have been working with the health minister, and my officials are actively engaging too with senior officials in Health to look for ways for securing the pay uplift for health workers," he said.

In response, Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) assembly member Colin McGrath said he "literally just felt like going 'blah, blah, blah' with that answer".

He said the pay rise for healthcare workers "was promised to them".

"It was due on 1 April, and it's 1 October tomorrow."

O'Dowd replied that the assembly member "clearly had his piece for camera worked out before I read out my answer".

He added: "What ministers have to do is work together, and this is what ministers are doing on this issue - we are working together."

The finance minister said he had "no doubt" that "health workers will get their pay rise".

He added: "I have no doubt this will be successfully resolved, and the pay rise for health workers will be delivered."