The Minister for Health Simon Harris has said there is potential to devise "acceptable solutions" to the controversy surrounding the ownership of the planned National Maternity Hospital.
In a statement, Mr Harris asked for "time to pursue solutions that address the issue of the ownership".
"This week, I asked for a period of time to allow me and my officials to work with both hospitals and report back to the Government, the Oireachtas and to the public at the end of May.
"I want to be very clear that I want this time to pursue solutions that address the issue of the ownership of the facility, that is the new NMH," said Mr Harris.
Controversy surrounds the new hospital after it emerged that the Religious Sisters of Charity was to be given ownership of the €300m taxpayer-funded hospital because it owns the land on which it is to be built.
The new hospital is to be built on the campus of St Vincent's Hospital in Dublin.
The board of the St Vincent's Healthcare Group has reiterated its support for the proposed relocation to the Elm Park campus.
Mr Harris said that the agreement reached between the hospitals "recognised that the State will require a 'lien' on the new facility in accordance with whatever funding agreements are in place by the State for such capital projects".
"Different options have been used in the past in doing this and I believe there is potential to devise creative and acceptable solutions that will provide further reassurance regarding the ownership of these facilities which will be paid for by the State," said Mr Harris.
Mr Harris said that the "structure of our health service is diverse and complex".
"A conversation has now started in Ireland regarding this. That is a good thing and I want to separately put in place a process to facilitate that broader conversation which is long overdue and which will, rightfully, take some time," he added.
Earlier, Minister for Foreign Affairs Charlie Flanagan said that he was confident the matter can be resolved satisfactorily in the weeks ahead.
Charlie Flanagan says a number of options – including a long-term lease – are possible for NMH pic.twitter.com/3EnZh9I4ht
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) April 30, 2017
Speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, Mr Flanagan said that there are "creative solutions" available and these include the option of a long-term lease.
On Friday, former master of the Coombe Hospital Professor Chris Fitzpatrick stood down from the NMH project board in support of Dr Peter Boylan, who resigned on Thursday.
Prof Fitzpatrick said he shared reservations expressed by Dr Boylan in relation to the proposed ownership and governance of the new hospital.
He said it is critical that there is absolute separation between church and medicine, especially when it comes to female reproductive healthcare.
Also speaking on RTÉ's The Week in Politics, Sinn Féin deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald said the religious order should gift the site to the State and if that does not happen then the State should acquire it by whatever means, including a compulsory purchase order.
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The State taking ownership of the new National Maternity Hospital could be helpful, according to the Clinical Director of the NMH, Professor Declan Keane.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week programme, Professor Keane said he remained satisfied that the agreement brokered by mediator Kieran Mulvey between the NMH and the St Vincent's Hospital Group fully protected the clinical independence of the new hospital.
But he acknowledged that public concerns had now developed over the proposed ownership of the hospital.
Asked about Mr Flanagan remarks that there could be a long-term lease facility to resolve the issue of ownership, Professor Keane said that could prove helpful.
"If the ownership of the hospital remains a stumbling block then some of the issues that Minister Flanagan mentioned may well by very helpful in the long term. If something like that comes about that satisfies public concern then I think that can be helpful," he said.
