Newly elected Minister for Health Simon Harris, is calling on those involved in the relocation dispute of the National Maternity Hospital, to 'put their egos to one side.'

Speaking on the local radio station East Coast FM, Harris said:

"My message very clearly to anyone involved in this row that I am reading about in the papers, put your egos to one side, get in a room and sort this out. This cannot be tied up in bureaucracy."

"What I will not do is allow the possibility of delivering a new maternity hospital to be jeopardised by rows over governance and fiefdom."

Management at St Vincent's Hospital and the National Maternity Hospital at Holles Street are embroiled in a dispute over the governance of the new facility. The hospital is moving from its current building as the premises is considered to be no longer fit for purpose.

Speaking on what he expects of himself in his new role, he added:

"I expect to be held to account by the Dail, I expect to be questioned, I expect to be put under pressure, I expect to be an accountable Minister for Health. We need a political consensus around health, we need all of our politicians to come together. Let's accept that getting the health service right is one of the greatest societal challenges this country faces."

Meanwhile, Mr Harris’s predecessor Leo Varadkar has insisted that he does not consider his transfer from the Health portfolio to Social Protection, as a demotion. He did however admit that 'in some ways I am sorry to be losing health.'

'Put your egos to one side" I must say I like the cut of Harris's jib https://t.co/57GY16AIcd via @Independent_ie

— Talking Point (@TalkingPointNT) May 7, 2016