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Health pay is a devolved matter in Northern Ireland. In recent years, health workers have gone on strike to campaign for pay parity with colleagues in the rest of the UK. In May, Health Minister Mike Nesbitt signed off £200m to go towards this year's pay deal but said the money would need to be found outside his department due to the financial pressures he was already facing. Earlier this month, the minister said only half of the money needed to resolve the pay award shortfall for healthcare workers had been found. It contradicted earlier remarks by First Minister Michelle O'Neill that Nesbitt had "found" £100m to help resolve the dispute, with the executive agreeing to put the other half required - £100m - towards it. The health minister told BBC News NI in a statement: ""My department continues to work in good faith with health unions and professional bodies. Talks are continuing as we acknowledge and respond to their concerns within the regrettable financial constraints we face. "I very much value the ongoing constructive engagement with the health unions, particularly in terms of identifying and exploring any potential options and common ground, as we seek to work through these difficult issues together. We anticipate further discussions in the coming week."
