Medical staff at Letterkenny General Hospital in Co Donegal were still being interviewed yesterday by gardaí investigating the circumstances surrounding the death of a seven-year-old girl.
The girl, one of a family of eight children, died at the hospital last Wednesday. She had collapsed at home on Tuesday night and died in hospital the following evening after suffering cardiac arrest.
The senior garda leading the investigation, Supt Jim Gallagher, said a special unit had been set up at Letterkenny Garda station to investigate the circumstances surrounding the child's death. He said an initial post-mortem examination by the deputy State Pathologist, Dr Marie Cassidy, had proved inconclusive.
However, the results of further tests on the body had been conveyed to gardaí but were not being released "for operational reasons".
In addition, the results of additional tests were still awaited, he confirmed.
"We are investigating all aspects of how this girl died. A full investigation is going on. We have a special unit set up in Letterkenny station to conduct the investigation," Supt Gallagher said. "We are also in regular touch with the health board."
On Monday evening, following the child's funeral, her seven brothers and sisters, aged between five and 17 years, were taken by the Garda and placed in the care of the North Western Health Board.
Gardaí have also carried out a forensic examination at the child's home. They took away a number of items.
A spokeswoman for the State Pathologist's office said last evening that the results of the full post-mortem on the child would be released in due course to the coroner in Donegal who would hold the inquest into the death at a date yet to be fixed.