Talks between nursing unions and health service employers in the ongoing dispute over pay and working conditions are continuing before the National Implementation Body in Dublin.
The discussions resumed at 2pm after a planned session this morning was postponed over a dispute at St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.
The national talks between the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO), the Psychiatric Nurses' Association (PNA), the trade union Siptu and the Health Service Executive (HSE), were due to resume at 11am.
However, union officials had to divert their attentions to the dispute at St Vincent's after the hospital informed unions that it may seek a High Court injunction to restrict their representatives from carrying out their duties in parts of the hospital.
Talks between union representatives and management at St Vincent's adjourned late this evening and will reconvene tomorrow morning.
An INO representative at the hospital described developments at today's talks as "worrying" and said the threat of being taken off the payroll still hangs over nurses at the hospital who are engaged in industrial action.
He said management had not clarified whether it had gone to the High Court to seek the threatened injunction.
Earlier, another INO representative told Newstalkradio that union officials were not carrying out their business in clinical areas at the hospital, the issue over which management threatened the action.
Meanwhile, the national talks under the aegis of the National Implementation Body continued in Government Buildings this evening.
It is understood that management yesterday re-stated its willingness to reduce the working week for nurses by one hour at an early stage. However, in return, it sought greater flexibility on working practices to make this process "budget neutral". It is understood that this was not acceptable to the unions.
Some sources said the unions had indicated a willingness to look at issues such as rostering and skill mixes in hospitals as part of a reduction in working hours. However, this could not be confirmed last night. It is understood that the NIB believes finding a solution to the dispute could prove to be very challenging and that talks are likely to continue for several days.
Members of the INO and the PNA are seeking a 10.6 per cent pay rise and the reduction in hours to a 35-hour week.
The talks went ahead on the condition that the INO and the PNA agreed to defer a planned escalation in work stoppages this week, though their work-to-rule continues.
Some 40,000 nurses are still engaged in a work-to-rule action throughout the State.