More than 1,700 nurses working with patients with learning disabilities have voted by 95 per cent for industrial action.
The vote comes over what they claim is their pay scale being exceeded by less qualified staff who report to the nurses.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO), which represents the nurses, said a recent pay award to house parents and assistant house parents means they now earn about €2,000 more than the Mental Handicap Nurses they report to.
The Benchmarking Report set nurses' pay scale at €24,538 initially, rising to 29,490, and with a top grade of €35,827 including long service increments. The house parents and assistant house parents' grade starts at €27,110 with a mid-scale of €31,245 and a ceiling of €36,248.
Mr Liam Doran INO general secretary said: "The situation that has been created as a result of the restructuring of the House Parent and Assistant House Parent grade is simply unsustainable.
"We simply cannot accept that a person holding a degree-level qualification, who is ultimately responsible for the standards of service delivered to the person with a learning disability, can be paid less that unqualified people notwithstanding the excellent service that the House Parent and Assistant House Parent grade deliver."
However, Mr John Delamere, industrial relations executive with the Health Service Employers' Agency, told ireland.comthat "not one line of the benchmarking report" could be changed.
He added that nearly two-thirds of house parents, or childcare workers had professional qualifications and that these were now obligatory for those joining the sector.
Mr Delamere said instances where house parents reported to INO members were low at around 10 per cent, but that this and other issues would be discussed when they meet with the union on Wednesday October 30th.
The INO's Mental Handicap Section is due to discuss a strategy for possible industrial action.
