The Department of Health is to consult with the Attorney General and the Chief State Solicitor over the decision by the Medical Defence Union to refuse insurance cover to a number of hospital consultants.
Eleven hospital consultants have been refused insurance cover by the British-based Medical Defence Union for negligence cases taken against them, despite having paid the insurance premiums over the years.
Following separate meetings with the Irish Hospital Consultants' Association (IHCA) and the MDU, a spokesperson for the Department said it would be returning to the IHCA with a "more definitive" response to the issue later in the month.
Mr Finbarr Fitzpatrick, secretary general of the IHCA, told The Irish Times that although last night's meeting was constructive the Department's commitments "fell far short" of what the IHCA was looking for.
"We were looking for an undertaking from the Department of Health that they would indemnify those who have been refused insurance by the MDU."
Mr Fitzpatrick also warned that the association's annual conference is on October 9th and that if there is no solution by then the issue of industrial action will again arise.