Talks involving nursing unions and Health Service Executive management to try to resolve their dispute over staffing, recruitment and retention have adjourned this evening without agreement.
Commenting on the adjournment of the talks, Minister for Health Simon Harris urged both sides to meet tomorrow and redouble their efforts to agree measures.
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation said it remains open for further talks but that the HSE proposals have to be radically improved, to form the basis of any further discussion.
SIPTU nursing representatives said that the talks which have been taking place over the past three weeks had reached an impasse.
SIPTU Sector Organiser Kevin Figgis said management had presented the unions with a paper that falls way short of its members' expectations regarding the protection of nursing and midwifery services into the future.
The dispute has been rumbling on for months and before Christmas members of the INMO voted 90% in favour of industrial action if there is no resolution.
The unions want a fully funded workforce plan, that would increase permanent whole-time nursing posts this year.
The INMO is to meet on Wednesday to consider the outcome of the talks.
Management sources said that the INMO had sought delegated sanction of all nursing recruitment decisions to Directors of Nursing.
However it is understood that the management side felt that if that authority were given to Directors of Nursing, rather than to the broader management team, it could have presented difficulties for other managers.
It is understood the INMO was also demanding that all vacancies caused by maternity leave would be filled.
At present only 50% of such vacancies are filled.
The funded workforce plan for 2017 would have authorised the recruitment of 1,200 additional nurses.
Health unions and management are due to make presentations to the Public Service Pay Commission tomorrow.
