Former Taoiseach Bertie Ahern and the current Government have been accused of broken promises over cancer services in the southeast.
Two weeks before the general election last May, the then Taoiseach Bertie Ahern put his name to a letter of promise.
It said the vital project for Waterford Regional Hospital of a new 42-bed oncology in-patient unit and a 20-bed oncology day ward would start to be built some time in 2008.
But the Health Service Executive has now written that there is no funding to allow construction to commence this year.
It also said that a design team, not yet appointed, will not finish its work until the middle of next year.
Campaigners are furious, especially as Waterford is supposed to be one of the promised centres of excellence.
The HSE said this evening there have been significant developments in the provision of specialist palliative care services in the southeast.
It said this included the introduction of two beds for such care at Waterford Regional Hospital and 12 beds in community hospitals.
