The board of the Blood Transfusion Services Board is due to meet its national medical director, Dr William Murphy, on Monday following yesterday's suspension of its chief executive, Mr Martin Hynes.
The board refused to give any public explanation for its actions. A letter released by Mr Hynes says the only reason given to him was his suspension of the Cork regional director, Dr Joan Power.
That suspension lasted less than a week before it was revoked at a meeting of the board last week. Mr Hynes had suspended Dr Power following an apparent dispute over the release of files held in Cork. It is understood that when it reinstated her the board told Dr Power it did not consider she had withheld any information from it.
At a subsequent meeting last Monday the board decided to have separate meetings with Mr Hynes, Dr Murphy and Dr Power.
On Tuesday afternoon, according to Mr Hynes's account in a solicitor's letter to the board yesterday morning, he was handed a letter by the chairman, Mr Michael McLoone.
"It is clear from this letter that Mr McLoone will propose at today's meeting that our client be suspended, on full pay, from his position as chief executive officer of the IBTS," the letter to the board said. It added that, for Mr Hynes, such a suspension would involve "the destruction of his professional reputation".
According to the letter, the only reason given to Mr Hynes for his suspension was his decision "to place Dr Joan Power on administrative leave". He defended this decision, saying it was done in full consultation with Dr Murphy.
The letter handed to him on Tuesday told Mr Hynes that "the board unanimously agreed to record a dissatisfaction with your performance as the head of the organisation and failing to provide the necessary managerial leadership and judgment to negotiate a resolution of the problem that arose with Dr Power in relation to the release of the information and failing to use the organisational development process for this purpose".
Mr Hynes complained in yesterday's letter that he "was not permitted to be present at the portion of the meeting which resulted in this rebuke to him".
It is understood that the board's discussion on Dr Power was also conducted in her absence until she was called in to be told of her reinstatement.
Dr Power was last night honoured by the University College Cork Medical School, which presented her with a medal in recognition of her contribution to transfusion services over the years. Asked to comment on yesterday's events, her office said: "We are waiting for permission from the board for Dr Power to speak to the press."
Dr Murphy was travelling home from a meeting in Cardiff yesterday.
Mr Hynes has instructed his solicitors to issue legal proceedings on his behalf.
Mr McLoone replaced Prof Patricia Barker, who resigned as chairwoman last year over plans to stop testing blood in Cork and to centralise it in Dublin. Prof Barker is believed to have blamed divisions in the board for her resignation.