The move to hand over ownership of the National Maternity Hospital to the Sisters of Charity has proved highly controversial, with many people questioning the logic of there being any over-arching religious influence on such a key medical institution.

NMH thoughts thread. If the nuns are letting the state have the land for free, will in no way profit from it, will have nothing to do with

— Lisa Hannigan (@LisaHannigan) April 26, 2017

the running of it & can never sell the land, why don't they sign it over to the Irish people and stop all this genuine and well founded

— Lisa Hannigan (@LisaHannigan) April 26, 2017

upset. Why do they want to own our #NationalMaternityHospital?

— Lisa Hannigan (@LisaHannigan) April 26, 2017

@LisaHannigan Absolutely. Independence can never truly be independence if the entity that owns the land has a history like the Catholic Church does.

— JamesVincentMcMorrow (@jamesvmcmorrow) April 26, 2017

Despite the well voiced opposition to the plans, The Master of the National Maternity Hospital said on RTE Morning Ireland today that the hospital will be entirely independent from religious institutions.

Dr Rhona Mahony claimed that nuns will not be involved in the operation or running of the hospital. She also insisted that it was important to locate the hospital on the St Vincent’s campus because they want patients to have access to the wide range of services available there. However, alternative locations in immediate proximity have been suggested, with the land being put up for sale by RTÉ offering one very suitable alternative.

Dr Rhona Mahony says the new National Maternity Hospital will be ‘entirely independent’ of any ‘religious ethnic or other distinction’ pic.twitter.com/MUoCXPsiqm

— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 26, 2017

Dr Mahony said the ownership is a "technical detail" and also reiterated that abortions will be carried out, if needed, to save a woman's life.

However, there is a growing consensus that the issue of ownership is far more than a technical detail, with the former Master of the Coombe Hospital, Chris Fitzpatrick, also coming out strongly against any involvement for the Sisters of Charity in the National Maternity Hospital project. "This is a defining moment in terms of Irish maternity services," he said in a letter to the HSE, "the first of four co-located maternity hospitals to be built arising out of the new Government strategy – so it's essential to get it right."

He goes on to suggest that ownership of the site should be handed over cost-free to the State, in the interest of women and babies – and in the national interest.

Niall Stokes writes about the issue in his column, The Message, in the edition of Hot Press that hits the streets tomorrow.