The Government is being accused of showing a total disconnect with Irish women in handing ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity.

A demonstration will take place outside the Department of Health in Dublin this lunchtime - and an 'Uplift' petition has already attracted tens of thousands of signatures in a bid to block the move.

Councillor Éilish Ryan from the Workers Party, which is organising today's demonstration, says the Government have 'widely' missed the mark: