Fianna Fáil last night imposed strict orders on its TDs to vote in support of the Minister for Health and Children, Mary Harney, tomorrow or face expulsion.
"The consequences of not attending and not voting are clear to everyone," the Government Chief Whip, Tom Kitt, said, following a call from FF TD Ned O'Keeffe on Ms Harney to resign as Minister for Health.
Earlier Mr O'Keeffe said: "I think Mary Harney should resign. This is a more serious issue. It's a matter of life and death [ that] is involved for many unfortunate female persons across the island of Ireland."
The Cork East TD has been a persistent thorn in the party's side in recent months, having failed to turn up to vote for Bertie Ahern in last month's no-confidence motion against him in the Dáil. One colleague said yesterday: "If he votes against, or does not turn up and vote, then he will be out. It's as simple as that."
Meanwhile, one of the nine women who were wrongly given the all-clear at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise after being screened for breast cancer has spoken to The Irish Times about her experience since being diagnosed with cancer last month.
Speaking on condition of anonymity, the Kildare mother of four, who has undergone breast surgery in recent weeks after her misdiagnosis was discovered during a review of the Portlaoise mammograms, said she had "no faith" in Ms Harney.
"I don't think she has a clue how to run the system. I know she didn't do the mammograms but after the way she has handled this whole situation I really do think she should step down," she said.
Preparing to undergo chemotherapy next week, the woman said she would never forget the nightmare of telling her children.
"I'd love Mary Harney to step into my shoes for the last couple of weeks to see what it's like for me and my family," she added.
Her husband, she said, was very angry and had phoned Ms Harney's office a number of times. He left messages but none of his calls were returned. He was angry, she said, that her treatment should possibly have begun more than a year earlier.
The findings of the Portlaoise cancer cases' review by radiologist Ann O'Doherty will not be revealed during tomorrow's Dáil debate, despite Fine Gael's demand that it should be shared with them.
The Cabinet will today agree the wording of a counter-motion to Labour's no-confidence motion.
Strongly defending the Minister for Health last evening, the Taoiseach said: "Mary Harney won't be resigning. She will continue on with her reform programme for many years to come."
Meanwhile, a special meeting of the board of the Health Service Executive is expected to take place later this week and possibly as early as tomorrow to organise a review of its management of the recent breast cancer controversy at the Midland Regional Hospital in Portlaoise.