Women are to have access to safe, high-quality and nationally consistent maternity care, under Ireland's first National Maternity Strategy.

The strategy was developed following the deaths of a number of baby deaths at Portlaoise Hospital and of Savita Halappanavar at University Hospital Galway.

It's understood the document will give mothers more options to give birth, but concerns remain about staffing across all levels of maternity care.

Juliette Gash reports;