The Save Navan Hospital Campaign is planning a rally next month over the Health Service Executive's plan to close the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital.
The HSE announced on Monday that is planning to replace the ED with a 24 hour GP referred medical assessment unit and an injury unit.
However, Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly said yesterday that no decision had been made to close the emergency department.
He said he had asked the HSE to outline clinical concerns around safety at the ED to local politicians at at meeting on Monday.
During the briefing, the minister said "several important issues, including additional capacity in other hospitals impacted, as well as the continued ability of people in the Navan area to access emergency and urgent care" were raised.
He said these "issues would need to be fully addressed before any proposed transition by the HSE takes place".
Táanaiste Leo Varadkar also said that the Government had not sanctioned the decision.
Mr Varadkar said that there were questions around whether it would be wise and that further assurances around ambulance cover and the capacity of other nearby hospitals were not forthcoming.
The Save Navan Hospital Campaign Group has also planned a public meeting on 30 June, a date mooted as the possible closure date for the emergency department.
Separately, Health Service Executive CEO Paul Reid has told the Oireachtas Committee on Health this morning that the planned closure of the emergency department at Our Lady's Hospital in Navan, is being taken in response to "very significant and very serious patient safety risks".
He said he is aware of the opposition which a senior government minister has expressed to the current plans, and said he will address those "concerns".
He said there will be clarity on the matter in "the next couple of weeks".
He was responding to Sinn Féin Spokesperson on Health David Cullinane, who said that there is "some confusion" as to what the "official HSE policy is" in light of conflicting messages from senior ministers.
Minister for Justice Minister Helen McEntee - in whose constituency the hospital lies - said in a post on Facebook last night that "a presentation from the HSE at the meeting this week caused further concern."
Asked about this, Mr Reid told Deputy Cullinane: "I live in the real world. We have political concerns - things that are local are very big issues for politicians nationally".
He detailed "the risks identified" at the hospital, saying there is no local ED governance, "there's no acute surgical service", and a non-specialist agency registrar provides cover.
There are further risks associated with Navan having "one of the smallest ICUs in the country", he added.
