The new forum established by the Government some months ago to examine reform and work practice changes in the health sector is expected to start work later this month, it has emerged.
The outgoing president of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) Peter McLoone said at its biennial conference last week that it was hoped that the forum would re-convene "before the summer break".
The forum was proposed by the trade union movement several months ago and was formally established by the Government around Easter.
It held two, largely exploratory, meetings shortly after its establishment. However, these were over-shadowed by the lengthy dispute involving 40,000 nurses and later by the general election.
The Minister for Health Mary Harney said last May that the forum would be one her main priorities if she was returned to the Department of Health.
The trade union movement considers that the forum could be a facility for teasing out issues such as health service reform and work practice changes by staff as well as the need for this to be accompanied by further State investment.
Trade union leaders believed that the social partnership model, involving Government, emplo-yers and unions, which has played a major role in the development of the economy over recent years, could be adopted to deal with some of the difficult problems in the health sector.
The Government has, however, insisted that the forum cannot deal with the issue of pay for the 130,000 employees in the public health service.
The issue of pay scales for hospital consultants and top management is being addressed currently by the review body on higher remuneration while the pay of other groups in the health service is being examined by the benchmarking body.
Both of these bodies are due to report to Government on their findings by the end of the year.
Among the groups expected to be represented at the forum are doctors, nurses, clerical and administrative grades, therapists and laboratory staff.
Meanwhile, new talks aimed at resolving the lengthy row over a new contract for hospital consultants are expected to continue over the coming weeks.
It is understood that the chairman of the negotiations, senior counsel Mark Connaughton, met with health service management last week and will have talks with the medical bodies this week.
Further bi-lateral talks between the chairman and the parties are expected to take place for the remainder of the month.
Management has agreed not to process applications for 68 consultant posts advertised by the Government in April on revised terms and without the agreement of the medical bodies until mid-September to allow the current round of talks to take place.