The Government has won a Dáil vote on cancer services in the northwest by 75 to 62, with all the Government deputies from the region supporting the policy of Health Minister Mary Harney.
The debate saw an impassioned appeal from Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny to the Fianna Fáil TDs from Mayo and Sligo to vote with the Opposition to support the retention of cancer services in the two counties.
Fine Gael has now called for a manual vote, which will not change the overall result, but will mean the TDs have to physically walk through the lobbies to support the Government.
Earlier in the Dáil, there were heated exchanges over health spending.
At one point, Mr Cowen told the Fine Gael spokesman on Health, Dr James Reilly, that if the heckling continued, he could arrange that Fine Gael leader Enda Kenny would not be heard in the chamber again.
The row erupted after Mr Kenny questioned the Taoiseach about health expenditure.
A charge that Fine Gael had not backed a single initiative aimed at improving health services drew instant howls from Mr Kenny's front bench.
Dr Reilly was the most vocal, bellowing across the chamber that Mr Cowen was playing the man not the ball.
Amid continued noisy exchanges, the Taoiseach warned that he could organise similar behaviour from his own benches, before bluntly threatening Dr Reilly.
Mr Kenny protested, the Ceann Comhairle intervened and calm was restored.
Bertie Ahern frequently had to endure barracking from the Opposition during Leaders' Questions, sometimes complaining to the Ceann Comhairle.
But Mr Cowen signalled today he would not be taking it from Fine Gael and Labour, even if he has left himself open to a charge of conduct unbecoming of a Government leader.
