Minister for Health Mary Harney will today address a medical research conference in Philadelphia. The engagement prevented her from attending the Irish Nurses' Organisation (INO) annual conference in Cavan.
While the details of the Tánaiste's speech are not known, its title is "Fostering Innovation: A Government Perspective". Ms Harney's non-attendance at the nurses' conference has sparked an angry reaction from the INO and criticism in the Dáil and Seanad.
INO general secretary Liam Doran suggested that her failure to attend was due to the public stance the union had taken on behalf of patients, nurses and midwives, and in relation to A&E overcrowding.
He said it would be the first time in more than 30 years that the serving Minister for Health would not be attending the organisation's conference.
In the Seanad Michael McCarthy (Labour) accused Ms Harney of snubbing the INO.
A spokesman for Ms Harney said she had made a commitment last October to speak at the US conference.
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