The leaders of the main Protestant churches in the State are due to meet the Taoiseach, Bertie Ahern, today to express concern at what they see as lack of investment in Dublin's Tallaght hospital.
They also want to convey their reservations at the recent decision to site the State's new national children's hospital at the Mater hospital. This will result in the National Children's Hospital currently in Tallaght being merged with Crumlin and Temple Street hospitals in a new building on the Mater campus.
The delegation due to meet Mr Ahern at Government Buildings includes the Church of Ireland primate and Archbishop of Armagh Most Rev Robin Eames, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin Most Rev John Neill, the moderator of the Presbyterian Church in Ireland the Ven Rev Dr David Clarke, and the outgoing president of the Methodist Church in Ireland, the Rev Desmond Bain.
They will be accompanied by Prof Ian Graham, president of the Adelaide Hospital Society, and Alan Gillis, chairman of the board of Tallaght hospital.
Dr Fergus O'Ferrall, director of the Adelaide Hospital Society, said the group was very disappointed with Government investment in Tallaght hospital. Originally there were plans for at least 200 more beds than were provided, he said.
He claimed also that it was not sustainable in value for money terms to remove a modern purpose-built children's hospital from an area such as Tallaght. The existing children's hospital in Tallaght, he said, saw about 30,000 children in its A&E unit each year.
"We want the Government to support the full vision for the hospital as originally planned and that included a maternity hospital," he added.
The group has already met Minister for Health Mary Harney.