Informal contacts between nursing unions and the Government's top industrial relations trouble-shooters were taking place today to avert planned escalation of strike action.
The Irish Nurses Organisation (INO) and the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) hinted on Friday they were prepared for talks as efforts to avoid more walk-outs continued.
And on the back of that officials in the National Implementation Body (NIB) have been in contact with them to discuss a possible way to resolve the increasingly bitter dispute.
Mary Harney, Health Minister, revealed moves had been made this weekend but reiterated the INO/PNA demand for better salaries and a 35 hour week would only assessed through the formal channels.
"It always has been my intention and that of the Government to resolve this dispute through the processes that are in place and within the terms of the Government's public pay policy," Ms Harney said.
Fifty hospitals are to be hit by hour long work stoppages this week unless the NIB can offer the INO/PNA alliance a way forward.
And the Minister insisted it is up to the NIB to decide whether face-to-face talks would help, however she also told RTE Radio there would not be any preconditions.
"But I don't want to build up any false expectations here. I can't tell you today that this dispute will be resolved over the next couple of days or even over the next week," she said.
"One thing I can say is that it can only be resolved within the parameters of Government pay policy. Certainly if everybody's committed to that we certainly could move forward, but I'm not certain that's the situation at the moment."
Hospitals and mental health services affected by stoppages next week include Cork, Galway, Donegal, Monaghan Kildare, Limerick, Dublin, Kilkenny, Cavan, Waterford, Westmeath, Longford, Mayo, Louth, Limerick, Wicklow, Meath, Kerry, Offaly and Wexford.
Work stoppages will take place on Wednesday morning between 11am and midday between 2.30pm and 3.30pm later that day.
Further action is planned for Friday between 11am and midday. The nurses' work-to-rule will also continue.
Nurses have made several demands including a 35-hour week and pay increases outside the national wage agreements.
Ms Harney said that amounted to 7.7 million less hours being worked and an extra 30 days off a year.
"If we want to examine how we can deliver the same level of services to patients without for example increasing the public pay bill or the need to recruit 4,000 more nurses then certainly I'm very open to that and the Government is very open to that," she said.
She also repeated the claim patients health was being threatened by the nurses' walkouts.
The Minister also defended politicians' pay adding that it was linked to pay rates for the most senior civil servants. Since 1997 a TD's salary has gone up by €65,000 while the wages a minister earns increased by €90,000. Meanwhile, Siptu vice-president Brendan Hayes urged the NIB to intervene in the dispute.
"Without prejudice to anyone's position, it is timely to get all the parties involved in the nurses dispute into a forum to see if a resolution can be found," Mr Hayes said.
"Patients are entitled to expect that the window of opportunity between now and Wednesday's plan of action by the INO is availed of to explore the potential for a resolution to the claims nurses are pursuing.
"The National Implementation Body is the most authoritative industrial relations body in the country and it should use that authority to bring all nursing unions back to the negotiating table."
PA