More than 7,000 doctors across Ireland have begun voting on whether to take industrial action up to and including strike action, following the expiration of the previous national public service pay agreement without government engagement on a successor deal.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) commenced the ballot on Monday, recommending that members vote in favour of industrial action. The ballot includes non-consultant hospital doctors, consultants, and public and community health doctors. General practitioners are excluded from the vote as they are not directly employed by the Health Service Executive (HSE).

According to the IMO, the previous public service pay agreement expired in July 2026, but ministers have not opened negotiations on a replacement agreement. While describing strike action as a "last resort," the union warned that immediate engagement from the government and the HSE is required to avoid widespread healthcare service disruption.

In a statement, the IMO criticized government commentary regarding health service financing, describing narratives focused primarily on cost-cutting and overspending as a "reductive and unhelpful blame game." The union argued that official rhetoric fails to account for the pressures faced by understaffed medical teams struggling to deliver care for a growing and ageing population.

Voting is scheduled to close on Monday, 21 September 2026, after which the IMO's committee will meet to determine the nature and timing of any industrial action.

The ballot comes amid broader labor unrest across Ireland's public health system. The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) recently voted overwhelmingly in favour of industrial action over public pay, while healthcare members of trade unions SIPTU and Fórsa are scheduled to commence industrial action on 30 September 2026.