The Labour Relations Commission has invited IMPACT and the HSE to talks over the recruitment freeze in the health service.

Health chiefs and the trade union Impact are expected to hold talks next week over a row about an alleged recruitment freeze.

Almost 30,000 health workers staged lunchtime protests around the country today over HSE cutbacks.

The IMPACT trade union has announced details of a campaign of industrial action by health workers in protest at the HSE's recruitment freeze.

The HSE is reportedly seeking to cut around 1,000 desk jobs as part of a new €30m voluntary early retirement scheme.

Almost 2,700 jobs have reportedly been cut from the health service as a result of the HSE's controversial recruitment freeze.

The HSE failed the terms of Towards 2016 national agreement by failing to consult employees prior to the implementation of recruitment cutbacks, the Labour Court has ruled today.

The Health Service Executive has made savings of around €70m in September alone as a result of its recruitment freeze.

The Director of Industrial Relations with the Irish Medical Organisation Fintan Hourihan has said that the Health Service Executive knew a possible deficit in its annual budget since April, but only informed the IMO in early September

Unions representing health service staff are seeking an urgent meeting with the Labour Relations Commission to discuss the HSE's decision to extend its recruitment freeze.

A recruitment freeze imposed on the Health Service Executive to halt a potential €170m overspend was blamed today on demand for drug refunds.

The Health Service Executive has imposed an immediate ban on recruitment in a bid to balance its budget.