The Minister for Health, Mary Harney has said further dialogue with consultants on a new hospital contract will be needed to resolve a number of outstanding issues such as pay.
She said the essence of the new contract had been accepted by the Government and the Health Service Executive.
Ms Harney was speaking at the annual conference of the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association, where delegates passed a motion supporting a further period of intensive negotiations with the HSE.
Earlier, the IHCA said that any new contract for consultants should attract most existing specialists; otherwise there will be chaos with different terms applying to different doctors.
Dr David O'Keeffe, IHCA president, told the organisation's annual conference in Dublin today, that while consultants are prepared to operate an extended working day and work on weekends, longer hours could not be delivered without a substantial increase in consultant manpower.
He also warned that the control of consultants being sought by the Department of Health and the HSE would not happen under his presidency.
Dr O' Keeffe said that while consultants were close to an agreement, they had reservations about the latest proposals.
He said health employers want consultants to do ward rounds every day and to discharge patients sooner than they do now, without regard to family circumstances or community facilities.
The conference debated the latest recommendations from the contract talks chairman, Mark Connaughton in a session, which was closed to the media.
The annual conference passed a motion supporting, with some reservations, the final report of Mr Connaughtan.
