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IMPACT described the situation as deeply frustrating, not least because management had twice confirmed the €390,000 figure in Labour Relations Commission talks earlier this month.

IMPACT official Richy Carrothers said marathon talks spread over a number of days, under the auspices of the Labour Relations Commission (LRC), had been addressing the HSE West overspend and particular problems in certain locations including Letterkenny General Hospital.

Mr Carrothers said: “Local union representatives and their fulltime officials at Letterkenny General dedicated many hours to these talks, aimed at protecting jobs and services. But at the eleventh hour the HSE decided to move the goal posts undermining the progress that had been made. Over the last six weeks the HSE had been seeking savings of €390,000 in the Letterkenny General pay bill, a figure they confirmed at two LRC hearings in Galway on the 3rd and 13th August. The unions were in the space that we were willing to do our bit yet again. But the HSE came back to us looking for pay savings of €1.2 million.

“We were about to make a significant and difficult contribution, even though the overspend was not caused by the workers themselves. The HSE’s actions are a real kick in the teeth for workers and service users at the hospital. We were ready to make a deal to protect jobs and services and management effectively walked away from the negotiating table.”

Mr Carrothers said good progress was being made in other North West locations including Donegal community health services and Sligo General Hospital.

A high level HSE and trade union group is due to make final decisions on the entire HSE-West situation in Dublin on 31st August 2010.