Contact is continuing between the Health Service Executive and the Irish Nurses Organisation over the dispute about midwifery staffing levels at the new €75 million Cork University Maternity Hospital (CUMH) in the hope that a deal can be agreed today or tomorrow to allow the hospital open on Saturday.
While both sides were yesterday refraining from commenting in detail, INO general secretary Liam Doran said he hoped that some agreed measures on staffing could be reached by the negotiating teams by mid-week.
"It's still a very fluid situation but we are going to do all we can to address the issue of staffing over the coming days and I would hope that we would have a series of measures agreed with the HSE which we can put to our members for a decision soon."
Mr Doran said the 350 midwives at the centre of the dispute would meet tonight or tomorrow night for an initial briefing meeting on whatever measures are proposed.
They would then have to approve those measures if the hospital is to open on Saturday, he added.
The Irish Times understands that contact between the HSE and the nurses' organisation is focusing on how the health service can bridge the gap between the opening staff complement of 315 midwives and nurses and the recommended 375 figure over a period of six to eight weeks.
There were some signs that a deal may be agreed after it emerged that 175 midwives from St Finbarr's, the Erinville and the Bons Secours have attended for training and induction at CUMH after being rostered to do so by midwifery management.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Health Mary Harney said yesterday that she was "very encouraged" by a commitment given by Mr Doran at the National Implementation Body talks in Dublin that he would do everything he could to have the new hospital open on Saturday.
However, Ms Harney reiterated her belief that it was disgraceful that CUMH had not been able to open last Saturday as planned.
And the Minister said that with "goodwill" the hospital could open this Saturday to replace the existing three maternity hospitals in Cork.
