Several dozen demonstrators gathered at the constituency office of Tanaiste Michael McDowell this afternoon to protest against the closure of one of Ireland's top cancer hospitals.
St Luke's Hospital in Rathgar, in Mr McDowell's constituency, is to be moved to two of the capital city's other hospitals - St James's and Beaumont - by 2011.
Campaigners demanding that the decision be reversed are mounting an electoral offensive against the Fianna Fail/Progressive Democrat government over the plans.
People Before Profit candidate Rory Hearne said they will canvass people in the constituency not to vote for Mr McDowell while St Luke's remains under threat.
"We believe that the hospital is functioning excellently - it has won two awards recently for hygiene," he said.
"This is about the value of the land and speculation rather than about what is good for the patients. "Our slogan is 'No Hospital: No Vote'.
We are bringing it door to door asking people not to re-elect Fianna Fail and the PDs as long as they are standing over the closure."
"We are making this a major issue for the general election," he added.
The demonstrators included patients of St Luke's, family and friends of people treated at the hospital as well as residents from the area.