The Cabinet will sign off this morning on the re-organisation of the country's hospitals into six regional groupings.

The plan was drawn up by John Higgins, professor of obstetrics at Cork Maternity Hospital and delivered to Health Minister James Reilly last year.

Minister Reilly says the fact its only going to be published today is because of his determination to implement it and not let it gather dust on a shelf.

The plan involves all 49 hospitals in six groupings - each will have an academic link to a university and contain at least one teaching hospital.

Speaking in Dublin last night, Minister James Reilly says this is the biggest ever reorganisation of hospitals and will deliver better and safer and cost effective services for patients.

In the South East Waterford is to be grouped with Cork - but it will keep some services such as cancer and trauma and be renamed Waterford University Hospital.

But there's concern in Dublin for example where the Mater and Rotunda hospitals share some 18 consultants and are just hundreds of metres apart - but are to be in different groupings.

Minister Reilly will announce the plan at 4pm this afternoon.