Talks were continuing tonight between nursing unions and health service employers at the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), but there was little sign of a breakthrough.
A spokesman for the LRC said he expected the talks to go on late into the night.
With the A&E nurses dispute now looking likely to enter a fourth day, many planned operations have had to be cancelled. The nurses’ industrial action will result in more elective procedures being deferred tomorrow.
Today’s LRC talks started at 10 a.m. and were chaired by commission's chief executive, Mr Kieran Mulvey.
The dispute began on Wednesday afternoon following a two-hour strike by nurses protesting at overcrowding and an unsafe working environment for staff and patients in A&E units.
The work-to-rule industrial action has led to A&E nurses withdrawing from clerical, administrative, portering and extended role duties such as taking ECGs and blood samples in casualty wards. The action will continue until a resolution is found.
The nurses’ unions have insisted on the provision of extra beds, new admission and discharge policies and new staffing and security measures before they will suspend the action.
A&E units have remained quiet during the dispute as the public heed warnings to stay away from casualty but there is concern for patients who have had planned operations cancelled.
Last night, the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association said its members were concerned about some of the "more urgent elective admissions" which were being cancelled.
Nineteen elective admissions have been cancelled at the Limerick Regional Hospital. A spokeswoman for the Mid-Western Health Board said extra clerical staff had been rostered to work in its A&E units over the weekend.
Most of the Dublin hospitals reported some cancellations of elective admissions over the last two days and more are expected to be postponed today.
Galway Regional Hospital has again suspended all elective surgery today due to the industrial action. This decision was taken to make beds available for accident and emergency cases, a spokeswoman said.
No admissions were cancelled in the midlands, north west yesterday.
Waterford General and Wexford General hospitals in the south east are grappling with the winter vomiting bug and have been forced to cancel elective admissions for this reason.