Healthcare unions have requested that a dispute over a staffing agreement with the HSE be referred to the Labour Court.
After a number of sessions at the Workplace Relations Commission to address the matter, unions said the parties have been informed by the WRC that it is unable to bring the sides to a point of reaching an agreement.
Planned industrial action was called off in March after the staffing agreement was reached.
The deal included a commitment to prioritise maternity leave cover, greater consultation with unions on future staffing decisions and an increase in the conversion of agency posts to HSE jobs.
Under the agreement, employment ceilings set under the HSE's Pay and Numbers Strategy would remain in place but promotion opportunities for existing staff within the health service would be prioritise.
Health unions said they believe the HSE to be in breach of the staffing agreement following confirmation that over 6,000 posts remain vacant across the health service.
The health unions involved are the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO), Fórsa, SIPTU, Irish Medical Organisation, Connect, Unite, and the Medical Laboratory Scientists Association.
In an update to members, the INMO said unions have requested that the specific issues in dispute are referred to the Labour Court for a full hearing and that the unions have requested an early hearing on the matter.
"The date for this hearing will be subject to the Labour Court's schedule," the INMO said.
"In the meantime, we will continue direct engagement with the HSE on the remaining issues contained within the March proposals," the union added.
The HSE said it has made significant progress in implementing the staffing agreement in areas such as direct recruitment, reducing agency staffing and the establishment of Regional Joint Union Management Fora.
"The HSE has demonstrated its commitment to the implementation of the agreement and remains committed to its ongoing implementation," a spokesperson said.
