The President of the College of Anaesthetists, Professor Anthony Cunningham, has agreed to intervene in the crisis over anaesthetic services at Monaghan General Hospital.
Yesterday, the hosptial was forced to send patients home due to a shortage of anaesthetists at the hospital.
The Minister of Health Mr Micheál Martin met representatives from the North Eastern Health Board this afternoon to discuss the crisis.
After the three-hour meeting Mr Martin said he was committed to the future of the hospital as a fully operational facility. However, he would not say when services would be restored.
At the request of the North Eastern Health Board, Professor Cunningham has agreed to meet consultant anaesthetists in the Cavan/Monaghan Hospital Group as soon as possible.
The health board says the situation arose because the College of Anaesthetists could not approve training posts for junior hospital doctors. In addition, the hospital says it is finding it difficult to recruit and retain temporary anaesthetic consultants.
Elective surgery has been suspended while emergency cases are being directed to Cavan, Dundalk, Navan and Drogheda.