Talks in the nurses' dispute are expected to resume today, two days before the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses' Organisation are due to step up their industrial action. They have threatened to extend work stoppages to 52 hospitals by the end of the week.
The talks follow informal moves by the benchmarking National Implementation Body over the weekend, which revealed "a genuine effort on behalf of all parties to improve the atmosphere", according to David Begg of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu).
However, he warned against irrational optimism for progress, commenting that the parties did not appear to have altered their substantive positions.
Mr Begg told The Irish Timesinformal contacts had indicated that the parties were willing to talk without preconditions and he expected that the talks would get under way today.
But he said he had listened to the announcement by Liam Doran of the INO on Friday and "he was saying what he has consistently said".
Mr Begg said the INO "had never put restraints on negotiations but had said it wanted a date for the introduction of a 35-hour week and still say they want a date for a 35-hour week."
Efforts to contact Mr Doran were not successful yesterday.
In addition to the reduction in the number of hours worked, the nurses are also seeking a 10.6 per cent pay rise.
Brendan Mulligan, assistant chief executive of the HSE Employers Agency, said the agency position remained consistent.
He said the HSE was prepared to consider a one-hour reduction in the 39-hour working week, but "whatever happens must happen on a cost neutral basis".
He reiterated the HSE position that 70 per cent of HSE staff are on a 39-hour week and knock-on effects had to be considered.
Minister for Health Mary Harney also warned about the dangers of over-optimism.
Confirming that informal contacts had been made over the weekend she told RTÉ's News at One she didn't want "to build any false expectations here.
"I cannot tell you today that this dispute will be resolved over the next couple of days, or even over the next week".
She reiterated her insistence that any potential solution must be achieved within the Government's pay policy.
"The one thing I can say is that it can only be solved within the parameters of Government pay policy.
"If everybody is committed to that we certainly could move forward, but I'm not certain if that's the situation at the moment", she said.
"I believe that if we want to examine how we can deliver the same level of services to patients without increasing the public pay bill, or the need to recruit 4,000 more nurses, then certainly I am very open to that and the Government is open to that," the Minister said.
