The Health Service Executive says a staff recruitment embargo introduced late last month will continue.
It follows a meeting today between unions representing doctors, nurses and other health professionals, and the Executive.
Unions claim the embargo will drive up waiting lists.
Earlier today, Irish Dental Association Chief Executive Fintan Hourihane said the measure would have a catastrophic affect on public dental services given that already between 10% and 20% of dental posts were vacant.
Deputy General Secretary of the Psychiatric Nurses Association Séamus Murphy predicted that community psychiatric services would have to close if staff are not replaced.
INO chief Liam Doran claimed that around 20,000 posts in the health system could fall vacant and will not be replaced over the next 20 months if what he called this blunt instrument is allowed to continue.
