Nurses have "temporarily deferred" industrial action planned for Accident and Emergency departments at hospitals nationwide.
Irish Nurses Oragnisation (INO) members agreed to give a plan to manage the level of admissions to A & E departments four weeks, after a hearing this evening at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC).
But Mr Dave Hughes, INO deputy general secretary, warned industrial action will only be avoided if employers stick strictly with the terms of the agreement brokered by the LRC.
Mr Hughes said a joint audit would be conducted for the period from December 28th to January the 19th to determine the factors that led to the recent crisis that led to a public appeal for patients to stay away form A & E departments in any case other than an absolute emergency.
He said the INO sought the audit because it believed management had failed to properly manage A & E admission levels, in keeping with an agreement reached last year.
Mr Hughes said: "This audit will prove who failed to ensure that patients and staff arriving at or working in A & E departments were treated properly."
He said the INO would keep the situation under constant review and warned: "The INO also reserves its right, should it find that today's agreement is not being honoured and/or should overcrowding re-occur, to re-commence industrial action without further notice."