The IMO has launched a major campaign to highlight 'dangerously-long' working hours which junior hospital doctors are routinely forced to work in Ireland.

It has also announced that as part of this campaign it will ballot these doctors in August on industrial action measures in protest at excessive hours.

The new campaign is branded '24 NO MORE' and seeks to highlight how junior doctors, known as non-consultant hospital doctors (NCHDs) are regularly forced to work shifts of more than 24 hours at a time.

This is despite the fact that this is in breach of their contracts and in breach of the European Working Time Directive (EWTD), the IMO says.

Ireland is obliged to comply with EU law in regard to working hours and, due to the lack of progress by the HSE on reducing working hours for NCHDs, the Irish taxpayer is facing fines from the EU, it added.

The HSE has been aware of its obligations in this regard for four years, according to the IMO.

IMO Assistant Director of Industrial Relations, Eric Young, said patients and junior doctors in Irish hospitals are in danger as a result of the Irish government forcing NCHDs to work shifts in excess of 24 hours, which was in flagrant breach of the NCHD contract and both Irish and European law.

Mr Young said the IMO will be conducting a ballot of NCHD members in August to step up the campaign through various measures up to and including industrial action.