Progressive Democrats Minister for Health and Children Mary Harney has blamed Dublin Mid-West constituency opponents for rumours that she will not run for the Dáil in the general election.
Insisting that she will seek re-election, Ms Harney also declared that her ambition is to return as minister for health to continue health service reforms, including wide-ranging work practice changes.
"Anybody who thinks that I am going to quit is dreaming.
"Anybody who says otherwise is peddling false information," Ms Harney told The Irish Timeslast night.
Rumours about her political future have circulated for weeks within Leinster House, with many TDs convinced, though with no evidence to back it up, that she was about to stand down from the Dáil and take up business interests.
In an interview to be broadcast on RTÉ tonight, Ms Harney said: "Of course I'm standing in the general election.
"I wouldn't be staying on as a member of the Cabinet if I wasn't going to contest the election.
"The rumours are being put out, I think by my political opponents in the constituency," she told presenter Rachel English on The Constituency programme, to be broadcast on Radio 1 at 6pm.
Last night, she told The Irish Timesthat she had "not come in to apply a sticky-tape solution" to the health service's problems, but, rather, to drive through the "sea changes needed".
"I think that the public can now clearly see that only with those big changes in work practices can we get the service that we need, and even though there is little time before the election, I am happy now that the pace of reform is irreversible," she said.
"After I stood down as leader of the Progressive Democrats last September, and as tánaiste, because I felt it was time to give somebody else the opportunity to lead the party, some people felt, well, if she's standing down as leader she mustn't be standing in the election.
"Of course, that's completely untrue. I have never intended not running in the next election."
Asked if she would like to serve as minister for health again, Ms Harney said: "Yes, I would like to be back as minister for health because I believe the programme of reform that I am implementing there needs a couple of years, and I've been Minister for Health now for just two and a half years.
"Clearly it is not my choice. It is a matter in the first instance for the electorate to decide that we will be back in government after the election, and I very much hope we will.
"But it will also be a matter for the leader of the party, in this case, Michael McDowell.
"But it would be my hope, certainly, that I would be returning as minister for health after the election," she declared.
