The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, is to meet hospital consultants this week to try to stave off the threat of industrial action over a crisis in professional insurance cover.
The meeting comes amid growing acrimony between the Department of Health and the Medical Defence Union (MDU) over the company's refusal to indemnify consultants from the cost of litigation because of increased negligence awards in the courts.
Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association (IHCA) described as "significant" the Minister's decision to meet the representative body on Wednesday.
Last February, the IHCA agreed to defer planned industrial action following a request by the Minister. The association will convene a special meeting of its members in early September, when it plans to proceed with a strike by hospital consultants.
The crisis over insurance cover for obstetrics intensified last week when the MDU announced that its estimated 800 consultant members in the Republic could only rely on discretionary assistance in the future.
A spokeswoman for the Department said it remained committed to trying to find a solution, and "we are urging them to come back to the table".
