Taoiseach Bertie Ahern last night seemed on a collision course with Health Minister Mary Harney over how to deal with the impasse over talks with hospital consultants on a new contract.
As Ms Harney indicated she was going to press ahead with plans to impose a new contract on consultants if they did not negotiate one within a tight timeframe, Mr Ahern said the negotiations should be allowed to proceed.
"It is always a fatal thing to do before you have negotiations, to declare what you would do if it didn't work," he said.
"You never negotiate that way, but let's get on with it," he added.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association, which represents the majority of consultants in the State, voted on Sunday to go back to talks on a new contract with health service employers, but said the talks would have to be without preconditions for a defined period.
Ms Harney said yesterday there had been endless talks that hadn't produced a new contract. "Obviously the HSE are seeking clarification in relation to yesterday's vote [by the IHCA], but I have a different agenda. I have to pursue Government policy and I will be bringing to the Government on Tuesday week an outline timetable and timeframe for the introduction of a new contract for new consultants coming into the Irish healthcare system," she said.
Asked if talks could still take place at this stage, Ms Harney said: "Talking is always good, but we can't have endless talks . . . we've been nearly two years talking around the table when no progress has been made. Certainly, time is running out . . . We want to employ new consultants into the Irish healthcare system - over the next number of years up to 1,500-1,600 more consultants . . . it's not about being unreasonable - a firm sense of purpose is what I have to bring to these deliberations now."
But on the weekend suggestion by Tánaiste Michael McDowell that the Government may introduce legislation to bypass any attempt by consultants to block new contracts, she said legislation would be a last resort.
"But clearly if we want to set aside existing contracts, that would require legislation," she said.
Sources close to Ms Harney said she wanted to begin recruitment of new consultants under her new framework before the general election.
Yesterday the IHCA wrote to the independent chairman of the talks, Mark Connaughton SC, indicating it wanted the talks to resume. Its secretary general, Finbarr Fitzpatrick, said Ms Harney seemed to be set on recruiting new consultants without any reference to the fact that they would need extra facilities such as beds and theatres to do their work.
The HSE said it was still awaiting clarification from the IHCA on its vote to re-enter talks.
Meanwhile the Irish Medical Organisation, which also represents consultants, said it too was prepared to re-enter talks on a new contract if they were without preconditions and for a defined period.