Junior hospital doctors are refusing to agree new rosters needed to operate new European Union working hours legislation because they want to hold on to €200 million worth of overtime, the Government has charged.
In tough remarks, the Government Chief Whip, Ms Mary Hanafin, said the Irish Medical Organisation had been "absolutely intransigent" during negotiations with hospitals over the the last four years.
The junior doctors are insisting that they be rostered between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday, so that they can receive training from senior consultants, even though this means that 129 out of 168 hours in the week would have to be covered by overtime.
Progress could be made in the negotiations, said Ms Hanafin, if the doctors would accept that not all of them could be rostered for normal working hours all of the time. Other trades and professions worked unsocial hours and are also covered by the working time directive.
"None of them wants to work a 9-5, but the Irish Medical Organisation does," she told RTÉ's Week in Politics late last night.
"The directive will not be fully implemented because of the absolutely intransigent position being adopted by the Irish Medical Organisation.
"Some progress has been made over the last four years. Junior doctors are paid €200 million in overtime and that is what the IMO does not want to give up," the Minister of State said.
The negotiating stand being adopted by the IMO's 4,000 non-consultant hospital doctors has created "a ludicrous situation' just weeks before the working time directive comes into force in Irish hospitals, following years of negotiation and delay in Brussels.
Mr Arthur Tanner, of the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland, warned that the cut in working hours for junior doctors would affect the number of elective operations, such as hip replacements, performed.
"I would see a major problem arising," Mr Tanner told the programme.
Sharply criticising the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, Fine Gael TD Mr Richard Bruton said the Government had seven years to prepare for the change yet negotiations are being conducted right up to the wire.
"Two and a half thousand man years are being taken out of the system at a stroke," Mr Bruton said.
Former minister for health, Labour Wexford TD Mr Brendan Howlin, said the directive should be implemented because staff "cannot give of their best after working 100 hours a week".
