The Taoiseach came under strong Opposition pressure to open talks with the nurses in the run-up to their threatened strike, but Mr Ahern reiterated the Government line that there was no more money on offer.

The Fine Gael leader, Mr John Bruton, asked if the Taoiseach was aware that 3,000 people had operations cancelled and were being earmarked to be discharged from hospital as a result of the pending withdrawal of service by the nursing professionals in hospitals.

"Is the Taoiseach aware that a two-week strike could lead to a backlog in the hospital services of up to 18 months in its effects? Will the Taoiseach take urgent steps to bring the sides together to see if a resolution can be found to this potentially tragic and deadly dispute?"

The Labour leader, Mr Ruairi Quinn, asked if the Taoiseach's attention had been brought to the request by the president of SIPTU, Mr Jimmy Somers, for a personal intervention by himself, and the remarks made by the Bishop of Limerick and Killaloe, the Right Rev Edward Darling, at the SIPTU conference on Tuesday about the same matter. Bishop Darling said that the nurses had a "right to rebel".

The Taoiseach said discussions were ongoing between the health employers' group and the trade unions concerned to try to ensure that the emergency levels would be in existence during the course of the dispute, if it happened. "The Government hopes that the Labour Court award will be accepted and that matters will continue to be dealt with through the normal channels, but that is a matter for debate."

Mr Bruton said: "Is the Taoiseach aware that the problem is not simply one of what are described as emergencies? People awaiting elective surgery will die. It is not enough to say that emergencies will be dealt with."

Replying to Mr Quinn, the Taoiseach said that the current discussions were about emergency levels. "The Labour Court offer is there. The Government has accepted it; it wants to pay it and to implement it. This is the third incremental increase for nurses.

"I have set down on the public record how these matters could be resolved and it is a matter for the sides to consider whether they can accept that."

The Fine Gael spokesman on health, Mr Alan Shatter, said that almost two weeks before possible strike action, a window of opportunity existed to see if the dispute could be resolved.

Mr Quinn asked: "Many people would like to know the answer to my question. Am I to take it from what the Taoiseach has said that the Government will do nothing between now and the commencement of the strike?" Mr Ahern did not reply.