Fine Gael has said it has no confidence in the Minister for Health and said Mary Harney's credibility had been "fatally undermined" by her handling of the current cancer crisis.
Party health spokesperson, Dr James Reilly said: "Problems with cancer diagnosis are emerging at an alarming rate and I do not have confidence that the Minister is in control of the situation".
Earlier today the Minister Harney said she was not ashamed over her role in the current cancer crisis and insisted she will not leave office unless she is fired from her job.
Speaking at the opening of a private physiotherapy clinic in Temple Bar today, Mary Harney said the cancer debacle had occurred through neither her "action or inaction".
The embattled Minister said she had acted "appropriately" in dealing with the Portlaoise crisis and had responded "speedily, quickly and thoroughly" as soon as she became aware of problems with cancer misdiagnosis last August and again last Thursday when it was announced at an Oireachtas committee that a total of 97 women had been misdiagnosed at the Midlands facility.
Insisting she would not resign over the matter, Ms Harney told reporters: "I didn't read the mammograms."
"I have nothing to be afraid of and nothing to be ashamed of", she added.
"I am not a quitter, I am not going off the pitch," she said. But, Ms Harney added: "If Dail Eireann decides to fire me that's a different issue".
The Minister also said she was satisfied that Cork University Hospital had acted "appropriately" in relation to a number of cancer misdiagnoses uncovered at the weekend.
The HSE said a consultant pathologist had resigned at the request of hospital management after "information relating to his work became known". The consultant worked on a temporary contract at Cork University Hospital for seven weeks, from 2nd July to 20th August 2007.
After he resigned, hospital management commissioned an accredited UK laboratory to undertake an independent review of the pathologist's work.
"This review is at an advanced stage. To date, any patient who required a follow-up consultation has been met with by a specialist clinician," the HSE said in a statement.
Cork University Hospital's information line is Freephone 1800 742900 from 9am - 5pm.
The HSE has refused to say how many patients are concerned and refused to say if there was any concern about tests carried out at University College Hospital in Galway, where the pathologist had previously worked.
Fine Gael health spokesperson, Dr James Reilly said the Minister's assurances that she was satisfied with the handling of new reports of misdiagnosis at Cork University Hospital were "undermined by her previous failures in Portlaoise".
"Mary Harney's blinkered ideology has allowed the system to take precedence over the patient and she has increasingly distanced the health ministry from the running of the health service," Dr Reilly said.
"This has led to one Fianna Fail backbencher calling for her resignation today. Other Government members should vote with their conscience tomorrow at the Dáil no-confidence motion," he added.
Labour's spokeswoman on health Jan O'Sullivan said the new reports added to the gravity of the situation in the health service.
"The scale of the problems now emerging are quite frightening and with problems having emerged at a number of hospitals, there is now a very serious question as to whether we need a full review of procedures at all hospitals," she said in a statement.
Mary Harney will face a Labour-sponsored vote of no-confidence in the Dáil tomorrow.