Health Service Employers say they have not been able to agree a national contingency plan with nursing unions for the planned one-hour work stoppages which take place in some hospitals on Wednesday.
However the HSE Employers' Agency says a memo of understanding has been agreed which should see constructive engagement on a local level between nurses and hospital management to ensure critical care is protected.
Today nursing unions announced that the one-hour stoppages will start at 11am in St Vincent's University Hospital in Dublin, South Tipperary General Hospital in Clonmel and in the South Tipperary Mental Health Services.
Breda Kavanagh, General Manager at South Tipperary Hospital in Clonmel, said she expected that the work stoppages would result in the cancellation of some surgery and out-patient appointments.
The Irish Nurses Organisation & the Psychiatric Nurses Association said a second series of short work stoppages will take place on Friday.
Liam Doran, General Secretary of the INO, said that all essential and emergency care would be maintained during the stoppages.
The Health Service Executive today reiterated that it is willing to resume discussions with the unions to seek a solution to the impasse, but only on the basis of the Labour Court and government policy.
Labour leader Pat Rabbitte said he believes a 35-hour working week for nurses is a reasonable goal.
He said that a forum should be established to examine the reforms needed in the hospital service, and in that context the 35-hour working week could be phased in.
IPA conference postponed
Meanwhile, the Irish Patients Association has announced that because of the current industrial relations climate in the nursing sector it has postponed a conference scheduled for tomorrow-week.
The theme of the Clean Hospital Summit was working in partnership to combat hospital-acquired infections, such as MRSA.
The Irish Patients Association again called on all parties involved in the nurses' dispute to enter talks to try to resolve the row.
