The first day of the resumed hospital consultant contract negotiations yesterday saw "constructive exchanges" between all sides.
The talks, which continue today and for a further three days next week, began at about 10.30am yesterday and continued until about 6.30pm.
The Health Service Executive (HSE)Employers Agency proposed that in future just two forms of consultant contract would be issued - one which would see doctors treating public patients only in public hospitals, and a second which would see consultants working full time in public hospitals and having limited access to private practice in public hospitals and in new private hospitals to be built on public hospital sites.
Much of the day was spent discussing clinical directorates, the type of contract required for the new co-located private hospitals, the need for consultants to be able to advocate on behalf of patients, and the need for consultants to work in teams over an extended day.
It is understood that it was indicated that if agreement is reached on a new contract, the HSE is prepared to appoint 40 consultants on category-two contracts backdated to last year.
Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the Irish Hospital Consultants Association, said last night: "There was a lot of constructive exchanges today and, while we would disagree profoundly with some of the proposals, the atmosphere was better than on previous occasions and there is increased confidence that there will be sufficient flexibility on both sides to increase the chances of an agreement being reached. However, I do not see it being reached within the timeframe proposed by the Minister."
Minister for Health Mary Harney set a seven-week timeframe for the talks.
HSE Employers Agency chief executive Gerard Barry said: "It was quite a constructive day's discussions, where we started to flesh out the key components of a new contract."
Before the talks began yesterday, he had stressed: "We've got to ensure this time round that private practice is not carried on at the expense of the public patient."
Fintan Hourihan, director of industrial relations with the Irish Medical Organisation, said yesterday saw the first serious engagement between the sides. "Clearly there is a new impetus to the talks," he said.