Talks aimed at resolving the eight-day-old strike by non-medical staff at Waterford Regional Hospital resumed last night.
However, even if the strike by more than 200 staff including porters, caterers and cleaners continues today, the hospital is not in immediate danger of closing.
The South Eastern Health Board had warned that if the dispute overlapped with the national nurses' strike, the hospital, one of the biggest in the State, might not be able to function.
But yesterday a spokeswoman for the board said emergency services would continue to be provided regardless of the outcome of the talks between management and officials of the TEEU. Discussions opened on Friday but were adjourned the following day without agreement.
Union members claim supervisors have been carrying out the work of electricians and plumbers outside normal working hours. Members of the ATGWU have refused to pass the TEEU pickets, forcing the hospital to cancel all non-emergency services since the beginning of last week.
Gardai were called to the hospital yesterday to resolve a standoff when ATGWU members refused to allow a car to enter. They claimed it was being used to bring strike-breakers into the building. It was eventually allowed through.
If today's nurses' strike goes ahead, no elective in-patient or day-care services will be provided at any of its hospitals in the south-east, the board said. Only essential out-patient services, such as for cancer patients, will continue.
General hospitals in the region normally cater for a weekly average of 291 elective in-patients, 3,047 out-patients and 345 day cases. Psychiatric and geriatric hospitals treat more than 1,600 patients a week at their day centres and 474 out-patients.
There are four other acute hospitals in the region, at Kilkenny, Clonmel, Cashel and Wexford. Emergency services will continue to be provided in all of these.
