The Minster for Health, Mr Martin, has said he is "disappointed" by the manner in which the Minister for Defence has opposed the implementation of the Hanly report on health reform.
Mr Martin admitted the report "poses challenges for the political system" but said that there is a process people should go through if they have reservations.
Mr Martin also added that he has no doubt the Government will proceed with the implementation of the report.
"I think the Taoiseach's steadfast adherence to the government's decision to the core principals of Hanly reassures me without any doubt about the intention of the Government to proceed with the implementation of the Hanly report." Mr Martin said.
Speaking on Monday night at a public meeting in Nenagh, the Minister for Defence, Mr Smith, had said: "There's no need to sacrifice the people who live in the outlying areas who are on poor roads and a long distance from services and who feel threatened or worried, no need to sacrifice them on the altar of the Hanly report."
However, Mr Smith insisted yesterday that he backed the introduction of the report.
Mr Smith said it was his job, as both a minister and a TD, to "tease out" the issues involved to make sure the best possible services were provided for people. He said that view was "not cutting across Cabinet responsibility or anything else".
Last night a spokesperson for the Taoiseach said the language used by Mr Smith was "unfortunate".
Criticism from Fianna Fáil backbenchers was harsher however, with one TD saying: "There is no encouragement for any of the rest of us to stay in line now."
The Hanly report plans to transform major hospitals into centres of excellence and remove some services from local hospitals. It also recommends doubling the number of consultants, halving the number of junior doctors, making major changes to consultants' work practices and cutting junior doctors' working hours over the next decade.
The Taoiseach insisted that reforms of the health services outlined in the Hanly report will go ahead, despite objections to aspects of the report from the Minister for Defence.
Mr Ahern was speaking in Rome last night, where he was meeting with the Italian prime minister Mr Silvio Berlusconi for talks relating to Ireland's forthcoming presidency of the EU.
He said Mr Smith "totally adheres" to the Government position and there had been many discussions at Cabinet about health reform reports such as Hanly, Brennan and Prospectus.
"His point is that we had said in the Government recommendations that local considerations have to be taken into account.
"But that does not change the fact that we have tobring in these reforms," Mr Ahern said.
"There will not be resources in the health budget in the future to solve all the problems without the reform mechanism, and that is government policy. Of course people can put forward their views but it won't change the reform that is government policy.The minister made it very clear to me yesterday and this morning that he totally accepts that."
