The Health Minister Leo Varadkar says the government is prepared for objections to plans for the new National Children's Hospital.
Planning permission is expected to be lodged later for the facility at St James's Hospital in Dublin.
The €650m development would combine the services at the three existing hospitals in Crumlin, Tallaght and Temple Street.
However children's groups have objected to the location of the new hospital, with some saying it should be built on the campus of Connolly Hospital in Blanchardstown.
This follows the appointment of a design team last August.
Overseen by the National Paediatric Hospital Development Board (NPHDB), the design team has carried out intensive work over the past 12 months.
The plans submitted today include those for the new children's hospital, as well as for the two Paediatric OPD and Urgent Care Satellite Centres planned at Tallaght Hospital and Connolly Hospital.
Health Minister Leo Varadkar says they are ready for objections to the plan, and he defended the project on Newstalk Breakfast.
"There's objections to somebody putting an extension on to their house, so I've no doubt there will be objections - and there would be no matter where it was located" he said.
"There's also a huge amount of support behind it".
"There's a great new website - www.childrenshospital.ie - and you'll see parents, patients, staff members from the existing hospitals, people from Heart Children Ireland, people from other groups...who are very much supporting this" he added.
Dr Roisin Healy is a representative of the New Children's Hospital Alliance and a retired consultant paediatrician.
She told Breakfast that claims by the government that the decision to locate the hospital at St James's was based on medical advice need to be backed up.
"James Reilly made his recommendation to the Cabinet - his advice and the medical advice to the Cabinet prevailed" she said.
"We haven't heard that medical advice - put it out there, show us, prove it to us".
"There is no evidence actually....that co-location with an adult hospital improves clinical outcome for children" she added.
