The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has given a clear commitment to hospital consultants that their existing contractual arrangements will be honoured.
At a meeting with the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) yesterday, which both sides described as "robust", the Minister stated that it had not been his intention to override the common contract.
Consultants had expressed deep anger during an extraordinary general meeting called last Sunday to discuss the introduction of a new system of insurance for doctors to cover claims made by patients alleging medical malpractice.
The IHCA considered the decision to proceed with a ministerial order giving legal effect to the new enterprise liability scheme as a "breach of contract and breach of trust".
The Irish Times understands that a frank exchange of views took place for about 60 minutes, after which the Minister and his officials adjourned to consider their response.
Mr Martin and his team had earlier attempted to widen the discussion to include the issue of enterprise liability in general, but this was resisted by the IHCA delegation.
The Minister subsequently reassured consultants that it had not been his intention to override the consultant contract and that the existing contract remained in force. He asked the IHCA to enter into "early and focused discussions" on matters concerning medical indemnity.
Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, the secretary-general of the IHCA, said: "As a result of our meeting with the Minister for Health, it is clear that consultants' indemnity and insurance arrangements will continue as before." He added that the e.g.m. decision to seek €500 per member to fund a legal action had been rescinded, since legal action was now "most unlikely".
While no firm date for further discussions has been agreed, sources in the Department of Health said that it was seeking an early completion of negotiations with the consultants.
A spokeswoman for the Department of Health said that the terms of the existing consultant contract remained in force. She added: "The State will still pay 90 per cent of consultants' insurance premiums. It was never the Minister's intention that the contract would not be maintained and he is aware of the particular concerns of consultants regarding historic liabilities and private practice".