The Irish Hospital Consultants' Association has said it hopes negotiations with the Government on a new contract could be concluded by early autumn.
The IHCA described its meeting with the Minister for Health, Mary Harney, as positive.
Dr David O'Keeffe, president of the organisation, said it would be looking to the chairman of the talks, Mark Connaughton, to devise proposals to allow the talks be restarted.
The organisation's general secretary, Finbarr Fitzpatrick, said the prerequisite to a return to talks was a guarantee that no shortlisting or interviews of candidates would take place.
He made the comments before the meeting with Ms Harney, which centred on 68 new consultant posts advertised by the Health Service Executive on terms not agreed with doctors.
Mr Fitzpatrick said consultants would not welcome the setting of artificial deadlines for the completion of negotiations, as this had not been helpful in the past.
He said he hoped today's meeting with the minister would clear the way for an early return to negotiations.
But he warned that if the HSE proceeded to interview candidates for the new hospital jobs, or advertised for more consultants on terms not agreed, the IHCA would have no option but to resume its campaign of action.
