Minister for Health Mary Harney has confirmed that she is to proceed with plans to advertise for new hospital consultants next week.
The minister, who was addressing the Irish Medical Organisation (IMO)'s annual conference in Killarney this afternoon, said that the move didn't mean that agreement on contracts with existing consultants couldn't still be reached.
The Government has set a deadline of next Tuesday to end talks between health service employers and consultants after which it intends to advertise 50 of 350 posts under new terms.
Speaking earlier, minister Harney told delegates that it wasn't in the public interest to delay advertising for new posts any longer.
"I don't believe that patient's or the public's interest would be served by delaying the recruitment of consultants in badly-needed areas and I don't believe that's incompatible with reaching agreement on contracts," said Harney.
"I want to emphasise again that we do not seek to disadvantage any existing contract holder with a new contract. That would be against the thrust of public sector employment policy. I am realistic enough to know that no existing contract holder would sign up for a contract that was worse. I have encouraged flexibility as well as focus in these talks, and that is why a range of contracts has been on offer," the minister added.
Minister Harney expressed surprise that it an agreement had yet to be reached, saying that when she had been appointed minister for Health in September 2004 she had been told by consultants that a deal could be reached within three months.
The IMO said this evening that it was 'disappointed' with the minister's announcement.
Speaking on RTÉ Six One News, IMO consultant chairman Sean Tierney said: "We continue to be available to negotiate and our hope would be that the minister will re-consider her decision but our advice to both our consultant and non-consultant doctor members at this stage is not to co-operate with the process.
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association (ICHA) meanwhile said its members will not sit on interview panels for the new jobs
