Waterford city and county councillors are to hold a protest at Dáil Éireann next week to highlight the failure of the Minister for Health, Mr Martin, to meet them to discuss the provision of a radiotherapy unit in the south-east.
The three-hour protest will take place outside Leinster House on June 18th. The Mayor of Waterford, Cllr Oliver Clery, said the action would proceed even if Mr Martin agreed to meet the lobby group.
The entire membership of Waterford City Council and four representatives of Waterford County Council were due to meet Mr Martin recently, but this was cancelled due to the Minister's increased workload at the height of the SARS crisis.
However, Cllr Clery is angry the meeting was not rescheduled. "We have made numerous efforts to contact the Minister to rearrange the meeting that he promised us. We have failed in all our efforts to get an agreed date from him."
The PD mayor said he believes that the Minister is using the delay in the publication of an expert report on the provision of radiotherapy as an excuse for inaction.
Meanwhile, at a meeting of Waterford County Council, Cllr John Carey (FG) called for the council to join their city counterparts in picketing Leinster House.