Minister Harney could expect a hostile welcome when she travels to Kilkenny on May 19 to formally open the new day surgery wing at the hospital unless a bitter dispute between nurses and the Health Service Executive is resolved before then.
Psychiatric nurses are currently embroiled in a dispute with the HSE over a new compensation scheme which sets out fixed compensation rates for nurses injured on the job.
Unions for the nurses, the Psychiatric Nurses Association (PNA) and SIPTU, say the scheme is "not satisfactory" and they launched comprehensive industrial action last Wednesday (April 30) to protest against it.
Psychiatric nurses across the country are refusing to work overtime in defiance, leading to the closure of some beds and community services.
Negotiations between the HSE and the nurses are continuing but pychiatric services across the country are still being affected.
The parties met again yesterday to try and resolve the dispute.
Inclusion Ireland, the national association for people with disabilities, is calling for an end to the dispute, saying it was having a "dire impact" on people in pychiatric care - some of the most vulnerable in the country.
The HSE has also called for a halt on the action, but the unions say they will continue, and possibly ramp up their hostile action, unless their concerns are addresed.
Late yesterday (Tuesday) afternoon the unions gave notice to the HSE that they would escalate action from Monday if no progress was made in resolving the dispute before then.
The unions plan to withdraw co-operation in the redeployment of nurses from community based services to psychiatric and general hospitals.
PNA general secretary Des Kavanagh said the impact of the withdrawal would be huge.
"We have noted the request by advocacy groups to take a step back in the interests of patients and, as a gesture of goodwill, we are giving a week's notice of our action," he said.
"This creates an opportunity for resolution of the dispute if the HSE wishes to avail of it."
Locally, the HSE has said that services in Carlow and Kilkenny will continue to function "as normally as could be expected under the circumstances".