Pay is not the key factor in staff shortages in the health sector, according to a report by the Public Service Pay Commission.

The report was commissioned to assess the causes and impact of staff shortages among nurses, midwives, consultants and non-consultant hospital doctors.

In relation to the nursing and midwifery sectors, the Public Service Pay Commission has found that there are no generalised recruitment and retention problems in the nursing and midwifery sectors.

However, it identifies some difficulties in meeting workforce requirements in specific areas.

It proposes addressing shortages by targeted allowances, which could by increased by up to 20%.

It finds a general difficulty in recruiting consultants with particularly significant problems in certain locations and specialisations.

There are also problems in delivering promotion opportunities and training because of the turnover of non-consultant hospital doctors.

The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation has expressed deep disappointment over the findings.

It warned that pressures are continuing and acute and called for an immediate meeting with the ministers for health and finance, public expenditure and reform.

The INMO has argued for an across-the-board pay rise for nurses to address staff shortages.

In a statement, general secretary Phil Ní Sheaghdha said: "Nursing and midwifery are professions in crisis, with only one application for every four vacancies.

"Ireland simply can't hire enough nurses and midwives on these wages."

The organisation is due to hold a special delegate conference on 26 September to discuss issues related to pay. It has not ruled out industrial action.

Implementation of report would cost €20 million per year - Donohoe

Minister for Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform Paschal Donohoe said that implementing the findings of the report would cost €20 million per year.

He said its findings would now be the basis for further engagement between the management side and the staff representation bodies.

However, Mr Donohoe stressed that all parties would have to have regard to budgetary constraints and to the affordability of implementing measures that could impact the public service pay bill.

He said it was essential that there would be no knock-on claims, and that any targeted measures introduced to address specific sectors facing recruitment difficulties must be "quarantined."

Asked about the risk of industrial action by the INMO, the minister said they would have to answer for themselves.

Asked whether any of the groups examined in the report would see financial benefits in 2018, he said the Budget for 2018 was already set.

He confirmed that the Cabinet had accepted the analysis offered in the PSPC report.

IMO says 'real crisis' in recruitment and retention of doctors

President of the Irish Medical Organisation, Dr Peadar Gilligan, said there was a very real crisis in recruitment and retention of doctors in Ireland and that Government policy must change to keep doctors within the Irish system.

Dr Gilligan said: "There are almost 500 vacant Consultant posts at present and more NCHDs are emigrating to work and live abroad than ever before.

"The challenge now is for the Government to devise a realistic response to this crisis which will address the critical shortage of doctors now and in the years ahead."

He said the IMO Council will meet later this week to discuss the report.

IHCA calls for end to salary discrimination

President of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA), Dr Donal O'Hanlon, said the recruitment and retention crisis needed to be urgently addressed in order to provide timely and quality care to patients and to resolve the difficulties arising from the failure to fill a significant proportion of consultant posts.

The IHCA said the extreme level of salary discrimination against new entrant consultants is the root cause of the crisis and must be ended without delay.

Fianna Fáil spokesperson on public expenditure and reform Barry Cowen said: "The commission specifically states that a resolution to the pay equalisation issue for new recruits will be a vital measure in improving recruitment and retention issues for nurses and midwives, particularly those who are embarking on or are in the early stages of their career in the public health service."

He said ignoring the issue was no longer acceptable or justified.

"It is very disturbing to learn of the significant data gaps within the health service that restricted the commission in fulfilling its task. The commission cites that there are serious data gaps on vacancy rates, recruitment competitions, applications, interviews and appointments."

He said the Government needed to set out how it would engage with unions to arrive at a solution that was fair and just for the workers in the health service.