Significant progress reported at consultants' contract talks

Negotiations on a new contract for hospital consultants have broken up this morning after dragging on through a second consecutive night.

Both sides say significant progress has been made in the talks, the latest phase of which lasted from noon yesterday until 8am today.

Speaking this morning, HSE chief executive Brendan Drumm said substantial sections of the new contract had been agreed, but pay remained the main point of contention.

Finbarr Fitzpatrick of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, meanwhile, said he was confident that an agreement could be reached.

The talks are regarded as the last opportunity to finalise agreement on the new contracts following discussions that have dragged on for four years.

If there is no deal this week, Minister for Health Mary Harney has vowed to press ahead with recruiting new consultants on revised contracts.