Harney hoping to convince IMO to abandon strike plans
The Tánaiste and Minister for Health, Mary Harney, is hoping to convince hospital consultants from the Irish Medical Organisation to call off their planned strike action during a meeting later today.
The doctors are planning to withdraw from non-emergency duties from March 14 due to a long-running row over insurance cover.
The row has been simmering since the Government introduced a state-run insurance scheme to replace that previously provided by the British Medical Defence Union.
The MDU subsequently withdrew cover from several consultants facing negligence claims relating to the time when the British firm was their insurer.
The Government, which is planning legal action against the MDU, has promised consultants that they will not be left without cover "in all reasonable circumstances".
The Irish Hospital Consultants Association, with represents the majority of hospital doctors in Ireland, has deferred its planned strike action in response to the assurance.
However, the IMO does not believe the assurance is strong enough to alleviate its concerns and is planning to press ahead with its strike plans.
Speaking ahead of her meeting with the organisation today, Ms Harney said she believed industrial action is unwarranted.
"I hope to be able to convince the IMO that going on strike makes no sense, that we are on the one side essentially in relation to this matter and a joint strategy is the only way we'll succeed,” she said.
"Of course, the real sufferers if a strike goes ahead will be patients and sick people in Ireland. They don't deserve to be the victims of a dispute between Irish hospital consultants and an English-based company."
