Nursing pay demands could cost the Exchequer up to €1 billion, the Taoiseach claimed today.
The Irish Nurses Organisation(INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association(NPA) plan to mount work stoppages at major hospitals in coming weeks over unsatisfactory working conditions.
But Mr Ahern said that the unions were entitled to 10 per cent pay rise under the Towards 2016 national wage deal and that shorter working hours were open for negotiation with the Government and the Labour Court.
Mr Ahern also denied claims by Labour leader Pat Rabbitte that Fianna Fail backbenchers had urged Health Minister Mary Harney to go easier on the nurses.
Speaking in the Dail, Mr Ahern said it was the duty of backbenchers to report back to the Fianna Fail parliamentary party on representations from interest groups.
He added: "They had no criticisms whatsoever of the Minister for Health, of me or the Minister for Finance. "Our stated position has been the same throughout the negotiations on this issue.
"Minister Mary Harney has been doing what she can for a number of months so there is no criticism of her whatsoever and no criticism from Minister Harney about any of my colleagues either."
The Taoiseach said that pay rises demanded by the nursing unions would amount to anything from €500 million to €1 billion.
"I think Deputy Rabbitte would accept that nobody could negotiate on that basis," he added.
Speaking during Leaders' Questions, Mr Ahern added: "There is no doubt about the major contribution that nurses make to the healthcare system. Neither is there any doubt about the Government's commitment to ensure that nurses are paid fairly for the work that they do. "We recognise that they perceive that there are certain inequities in the current system."
He said there was a 10 per cent pay increase available to INO and PNA members under the terms of the latest social partnership deal, Towards 2016, but they had not signed up to it.
He said that if nursing unions were included in that agreement, they would have received their first phase of the increase as other public servants have. But Mr Rabbitte asked: "Are you saying to the nurses that this dispute can only be resolved through the benchmarking process?
"They want an answer and the Opposition want an answer to this." Mr Ahern said he briefed the nursing organisations on the Government's position in recent weeks.
He said Ms Harney held an exploratory meeting with the nursing unions on January 19th and they agreed to abide by the Labour Court recommendations. He added: "The Labour Court pointed to the case for broad engagement on issues like the length of the working week to be addressed. The Government is fully prepared to engage on those discussions."
A majority of INO and PNA members have backed a campaign of industrial action, including a work-to-rule and a series of work stoppages, in a bid to address their concerns over pay and other working conditions.
Three lunchtime protests will take place next month at Cork University Hospital, University Hospital Galway, the Mid-Western Regional Hospital, Co Limerick and the Mater Hospital, Dublin.