By Alison Moore

Health Minister James Reilly has become embroiled in yet another row, following remarks he made to a delegate as he was departing from the annual conference of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) today.

Having delivered his address to the nurses and midwives, Minister Reilly, on walking from the podium to chants of 'no more cuts', apparently told one of the protestors who had started to sing in protest to 'stick to the day job'.

The comment caused much consternation among those delegates who heard the remark, with one nurse calling on the top table to seek a public apology from the Minister.

Geraldine Talty, first Vice-President of the INMO called for delegates to rise above the situation and not 'descend to the Minister's level'.

The Minister later apologised to the delegate.

In his address, Minister Reilly announced the establishment of a new chief nurse officer role at assistant secretary level at the Department of Health. He also said he would work with the INMO on the contentious nurse graduate programme issue.

The programme has been offering graduates employment at 80 per cent of the pay level of a staff nurse.

The Minister was greeted with silence when he arrived at the conference in Letterkenny. However, the atmosphere had thawed a little when he announced the new nurse officer post and after his remarks on the graduate nurse programme.

The INMO yesterday sanctioned the holding of a ballot on industrial action if the Government unilaterally imposes pay cuts.