Minister for Health Mary Harney has said that public patients will be “huge beneficiaries” as a result of the deal reach last week between hospital consultants and the Government.

The Irish Medical Organisation will meet with consultant talks chairman Mark Connaughton again next week.

The global search for 2,000 extra hospital consultants can begin now that an agreement has been reached on new contracts, Health Minister Mary Harney said today.

The long-running negotiations over a new contract for hospital consultants appear to be over after the emergence of a deal last night.

IHCA secretary general Finbarr Fitzpatrick has tonight welcomed the new agreement between hospital consultants and the Governemnt, but cautioned that “a number of other items require clarification”.

Minister for Health Mary Harney has tonight hailed the agreement of a new deal with hospital consultants.

Hospital consultants remain locked in marathon talks with the HSE this morning in an effort to finally reach agreement on proposed new contracts.

Talks are continuing at the Health Service Executive Employers Agency to hammer out a deal that will finally see a consultant’s contract being finalized.

Health chiefs were tonight locked in last-ditch talks to strike a deal on new consultants’ contracts and avoid another bitter row with medics.

A fresh round of talks is due to take place today in a final bid to reach agreement on contentious new contracts for hospital consultants.

Hospital consultants are reportedly being offered salaries of up to €235,000 per year if they agree to new contracts being sought by the HSE.

The Health Service Executive has reportedly put forward new proposals aimed at resolving the long-running dispute over new contracts for hospital consultants.

More talks are taking place today in an effort to agree a new contract for hospital consultants.

The Minister for Health, Mary Harney has said she is hopeful that a deal can be reached soon on a new contract for hospital consultants.

Consultants are to go back to the talks table to agree on new contracts.

The HSE has reportedly increased its pay offer to consultants as part of negotiations on a contentious new contract that would see them work exclusively in public hospitals.

A fresh round of talks aimed at agreeing a new contract for hospital consultants is due to get underway this morning.

The Minister for Health has said that she supports the proposal to resume consultant contact negotiations.

Minister for Health Mary Harney is holding more talks with hospital consultants today in an effort to resolve the long-running row over the introduction of new contracts.

Hospital consultants have decided to defer their work-to-rule following Mary Harney's invitation to meet them this Thursday.

Talks on the introduction of new contracts for hospital consultants are expected to resume.

Hospital consultants will not get a 2% pay increase because of their industrial action, the Government said tonight.

Consultants are beginning limited industrial action at public hospitals across the country today as part of the ongoing dispute over new contracts being introduced by the Government and the HSE.

Hospital consultants are staging the first day of an industrial dispute over new contracts today.

Irish hospital consultants are to begin industrial action from Monday.

Hospital consultants will meet today ahead of industrial action due to start on Monday.

The Minister for Health Mary Harney says new consultants are needed and we can't wait indefinitely for agreement on a new contract.

Consultants are expected to announce a campaign of industrial action today when the results of a strike ballot are made known.

The Irish Medical Organisation (IMO) has hit out at the HSE for not insisting that newly-recruited consultants have completed their higher specialist training.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association is beginning a postal ballot of its members today on possible industrial action over its contracts row with the Government.

The Irish Hospital Consultants Association is to ballot its members this week on a campaign of non-co-operation with hospital management.

Consultants will meet in Dublin today to decide how they will go about blocking the recruitment of new doctors.

Private treatment in public hospitals may be blocking access to services for public patients, according to an official report on hospital consultant contracts.

The Health Service Executive has today begun advertising new consultant posts under contracts that have still not been agreed with existing hospital doctors.

Consultants are pledging not to co-operate with the process or recruiting hospital doctors on contentious new contracts.

Further industrial action could be looming in the health service following Minister for Health Mary Harney's move to hire new consultants on contracts that have not been agreed with their unions.

The Health Service Executive is reportedly offering to allow consultants to devote up to 30% of their workload to private patients.

The Minister for Health Mary Harney is hitting back at hospital consultants for saying the March 27 deadline for agreement on contracts is unrealistic.

Hospital consultants are due to resume contract talks with the HSE next week.

There has been a breakthrough in the contract row between the Health Service Executive and hospital consultants.

Minister for Health Mary Harney has set the stage for a showdown with hospital doctors after saying she intends to press ahead with hiring 1,500 new consultants next week.