Talks are scheduled in Wexford in an attempt to avert an industrial dispute by ambulance crews which is due to start this weekend.
Night-time ambulance services are to be withdrawn from Saturday in three towns across Wexford in a dispute over rosters.
The crews, or Emergency Medical Technicians as they are known, are looking for an end to on-call rosters which they claim force them to work at least an additional 50 hours per week.
The South Eastern Health Board employs 22 EMTs in four stations across the county.
Twelve of the EMTs are due to walk-off the job in stations in Enniscorthy, New Ross and Gorey, leaving no service in place.
Ten EMTs based at the Wexford town station will not be taking part in the action due to working a different roster system.
A local SIPTU representative says they have been in negotiations with the Health Board for two years and have had no success in resolving the issue.
Bill Mulcahy of SIPTU said the EMTs work a 39-hour shift, coupled with up to 50 hours on-call, which means they can work at least 36 hours straight.
Last November, SIPTU notified the health board of strike action at the hospital and nothing has been done about the situation, he said.
