The Irish Medical Organisation is urging its members to vote no to the new Croke Park deal when it is balloted on.

The doctors' union passed an emergency motion to this effect at its annual conference in Killarney.

The meeting suspended its scheduled proceedings to hold an emergency debate on the Croke Park proposals.

Members at the meeting decided that the IMO would not be bound by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) accepting the Croke Park proposals.

The meeting also decided that the IMO Council would consider all options in the event of ICTU's Public Service Committee approving Croke Park II later this month.

The conference also debated motions relating to the controversial €9.7 million settlement package of recently retired IMO Chief Executive George McNeice. The package was negotiated downwards from an original €25 million.

The meeting was told the IMO would have gone into liquidation had the original figure been paid out.

A war of words has broken out between Mr McNeice and the current IMO President Paul McKeown over how much senior IMO figures knew about the former CEO's level of remuneration and entitlements when he worked for the organisation.

Dr McKeown has strongly rejected claims from Mr McNeice that his contractual arrangements were well known within the upper echelons of the IMO.

New row on IMO chief's pay