The Government is planning to pull lawsuit cover for about 1,300 hospital consultants because it believes the cost of public and private insurance cover is too much, according to irishhealth.com.
The report claims the Minister for Health, Mr Micheal Martin, will inform medical organisations of the Government's position in separate meetings this evening.
Under the current system, consultants are insured against claims by two British bodies, the Medical Defence Union and the Medical Protection Society.
The Government, who pays most of the cost on behalf of the taxpayer, wants to introduce a new system whereby all consultants will be insured by the State under a system called "enterprise liability".
The report says: "Doctors are expected to oppose the attempted change because they say they have an existing contract with the State and are concerned that the State might try and settle claims under the new system, to save money, without taking into account consultants' views".
Ireland.comunderstands the most recent concern about insurance cover arose when consultants learned the Medical Defence Union was to withdraw from covering members in Ireland.
However, the Medical Defence Union told ireland.comthat this was not the case. A spokeswoman said: "There's no question of it at all. We are continuing to provide cover to our members and they can be assured that we will continue to be there for them".The consultants have been involved in a dispute over whether their public and private practices should benefit from liability cover paid by taxpayers.
The Government wants to renegotiate consultants' contracts so they pay for cover for the private element of their practice themselves.