Members of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) have voted by an overwhelming majority in favour of industrial action.
This evening it was announced that 85 per cent of cosultants backed industrial action which will lead to a curtailment of consultant work schedules in hospitals from next Monday.
This is the first time the organisation, which represents 1450 consultants, has voted for industrial action.
From Monday work for the National Treatment Purchase Fund will be suspended in hospitals.
The second phase of action will begin on Monday the 23rd of February, when emergency services only will be undertaken by consultants in Hospitals.
"The 85 per cent support for the vote and the exceptionally high response rate, indicate how concerned consultants are," said the president of the IHCA, Dr Colm Quigley.
"We are now facing into industrial action for the first time in our history. We will continue to carry out emergency procedures which make up the majority of consultants work. We will however be curtailing other work from Monday," he said