The Labour Party today accused the Government of presiding over a third world health service.
At the party's annual conference in Killarney, spokeswoman on health, Ms Liz McManus, launched a savage verbal attack on the Government, saying she did not believe the Taoiseach was committed, or even interested, in creating a world-class health service.
In any case, she said, the Minister for Health, Mr Micheál Martin, was incapable of providing one.
Ms McManus said the deterioration in the service in recent years was both "shocking" and "inexplicable" to the general public.
She accused Mr Martin of being weak, self-serving and dishonest.
Ms McManus said Mr Martin was unable to recognise a crisis when he saw one and should resign his post.
Earlier, a Labour Party motion to rule out alliances with Fianna Fáil on local councils was defeated.
On the first full day of the conference, delegates voted to refer the proposal back for further consideration after Environment spokesman Mr Eamon Gilmore opposed it.
Mr Gilmore said such alliances were not comparable to forming coalition at national government level as councillors had relatively little power.
Delegates also passed a motion to investigate establishing party branches in Northern Ireland.
Last night the Labour leader, Mr Pat Rabbitte, accused the Government of using spending cutbacks to build up a "war chest" for a spending spree before the next election.
Opening the party's 60th annual conference, Mr Rabbitte rubbished the Government's economic performance and said ministers had nothing to offer but bluster and incoherence.