The campaign group fighting the transfer of breast cancer services from Sligo to Galway has criticised the decision of two Fianna Fáil TDs to resign the party whip.
The move has also been criticised by Opposition politicians.
Former Minister of State Jimmy Devins and his backbench colleague Eamon Scanlon, who resigned the party whip yesterday evening, said they were totally opposed to the decision to move the services to Galway.
On RTÉ's Morning Ireland, Mr Scanlon said if the Opposition tabled a private members' motion on the issue, he would vote against the Government.
However Mr Scanlon would not say how he would vote on other issues and said the decision was a tough one.
Save Our Cancer Services’ Lily McMorrow said they were ‘bitterly disappointed’ that the two TD had not made it clear they would vote against the Government on all issues that came before the Dáil.
She said their actions were a ‘choreographed charade’, which had more to do with their own political survival than the interests of the hospital or the people of the region.
Ms McMorrow said resigning the whip alone was a sham that was unlikely to achieve anything.
Tánaiste Mary Coughlan has said the decision by her two party colleagues to resign the party whip was regrettable.
She said she was very disappointed, but appreciated the huge political pressure they had come under over the removal of the breast cancer services from Sligo to Galway.
Minister Coughlan said the Government was not in a position to change the cancer strategy.
Fine Gael health spokesperson Dr James Reilly said both TDs had spurned an opportunity to support a Fine Gael motion in the Dáil that would have seen breast cancer services retained in Sligo.
The Labour party Mayor of Sligo, Jimmy McGarry, said the campaign to have the Government decision reversed would be intensified from tomorrow when the services are to be transferred to Galway.
Meanwhile, an independent councillor in Monaghan has called on the two Fianna Fáil TDs in the county to take the same stand as the two Sligo TDs.
Paudge Connolly told RTÉ's News at One programme that Fianna Fáil deputies Margaret Conlon and Rory O'Hanlon should refuse to vote with the Government in protest at the cutback to services at Monaghan General Hospital.
Acute services were withdrawn from the hospital last month.
Mr Connolly is a former TD in the Cavan-Monaghan constituency.
