Contracts row to dominate Harney speech at IMO conference

Minister for Health Mary Harney is expected to receive a frosty welcome when she addresses the annual conference of the Irish Medical Organisation in Killarney today.

Ms Harney is expected to use the speech to push her case for the introduction of new contracts for hospital consultants.

The IMO and the Irish Hospital Consultants Association have been unable to reach agreement on the matter during prolonged talks over the past two years with the Health Service Executive.

Ms Harney has imposed next Tuesday as the deadline for agreement and has vowed to press ahead with hiring hundreds of consultants on new contracts if a deal cannot be finalised by then.