Hospital consultants have this evening voted overwhelmingly in favour of holding industrial action which is expected to cause further disruption in the health service.
The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA), which represents most consultants in the State, said over 93 per cent of its members voted for the action in response to a decision by Minister for Health Mary Harney and the HSE to advertise 68 new posts on terms which have not been agreed.
Commenting on the outcome of the ballot, IHCA Secretary General, Finbarr Fitzpatrick said the ICHA had received a "very clear mandate" from its members to undertake the action.
"The position will be reviewed by the National Council at its monthly meeting on Saturday May 19th next with the target date of Monday May 21st set for the commencement for the campaign of action," he added.
The action will include consultants refusing to take part in hospital and national committees and not attending any meetings with HSE senior management.
They will also refuse to do work that would normally be done by locums except in emergencies.
Mr Fitzpatrick said the action was in response to the "dictatorial policy" of the Minister and HSE.
However, he added that the unions decision to withdraw from a range of local and national management and planning committees would "not in any way adversely affect patient care".
The decision to advertise the new positions was taken during talks on a new consultants' contract between health service employers, the IHCA and the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO), which also represents consultants.
After the decision was taken the IHCA withdrew from the talks, and it and the IMO say they will only return to negotiations if given a guarantee that none of the new consultants will be appointed other than on agreed terms.
Both associations have told their members not to co-operate with the recruitment of these new consultants and have advised junior doctors not to apply for them.