Sinn Féin leader Mary Lou McDonald has called on the Government to immediately intervene to bring 18 children from Gaza to Ireland for vital medical treatment.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin has insisted there will be no delay in getting the children to hospitals here amid indications that the medical evacuation will not take place until the autumn.
Ms McDonald warned there is every chance these children will be killed while the Government is engaged in what she termed "bureaucratic wrangling".
"The only humanitarian approach is to get these children out now," she said.
She told the Dáil that the medics who will treat these patients are ready to go as are the hospitals.
Watch: 'Life and death' issue for Gaza children as Taoiseach says no delay in bringing them to Ireland
Mr Martin condemned what he said was the "serial killing of children" in Gaza in a horrific war that has no moral justification.
The Taoiseach said 12 children were flown here already, along with carers and other family members, bringing the total number of people to 45.
He said nothing has stopped and there is no delay, adding that the Government will take an even more generous approach to accompanying family members.
In an angry riposte, he accused Sinn Féin of trying to sow doubt about the bona fides of Government on what is a humanitarian issue.
"The healthcare system in Gaza is no longer even on its knees. It's almost no longer functioning."
Earlier, Irish consultant vascular, trauma and humanitarian surgeon Dr Morgan McMonagle expressed concern for the children who were due to come to Ireland for treatment from Gaza.
Speaking on RTÉ's Morning Ireland, he said that the only functioning hospital in Gaza is Nasser hospital, "and even that is now no longer considered deconflicted in that the population around has been asked to move, which means that the hospital by definition is now a target as well.
"So really the healthcare system in Gaza is no longer even on its knees. It's almost no longer functioning."
He added that "if you were to ask me what does Gaza need tonight or tomorrow, other than a ceasefire, of course. What they really need is food and water.
"The medical care really has become secondary and tertiary with regards to looking after the wounded in Gaza at the moment because they literally have no food and no water."
He said that has not been involved at all at any stage in the choosing of children and the process is extremely complex from the legal standpoint, moving children over borders.
"But the biggest issue with the children, especially in Gaza, at the moment is really orthopedic and plastic injuries.
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"That is overwhelmingly the biggest issue. I mean scores and scores of children who lost limbs while I was there, who had to amputate, who have no rehabilitation facilities, who will have ongoing issues.
"But never mind the hospitals, even there isn't even the infrastructure still standing in Gaza. There's no sanitation, no running water, no flushing toilets, no potable water.
"Now they're living amongst rubble in collapsed houses, which are also dangerous in themselves.
"So from that point of view, Gaza is no longer really in in a state to issue proper ongoing healthcare and rehabilitation to these children".
He added: "You very rarely see a child with amputation on the streets of Gaza anymore because they literally cannot go out."
