Minister for Health Mary Harney today said she wanted a report on the controversial Leas Cross Nursing Home published as soon as possible.
Ms Harney revealed the Health Service Executive (HSE) had received very strong legal advice over the publication of the report.
The review was ordered by the HSE when the home, in Swords, north Co Dublin, closed last August amid controversy over the care of patients.
The report was carried out by Professor Des O'Neill, a geriatrician in Tallaght Hospital, Dublin, who reviewed 95 deaths among elderly patients at the Swords home since 2002.
After receiving the report in May, the HSE said, on legal advice and in the interest of natural justice, those named in the report must have the opportunity to respond before it is made public.
Ms Harney said: "It would not be acceptable to me that it wouldn't be published, but clearly we need the HSE and Professor O'Neill to work together to create the circumstances that would facilitate its publication.
"The legal advice including advice from counsel is very, very strong and clearly the HSE have to bear that in mind." But Ms Harney stressed if Professor O'Neill and the HSE worked together they could help create the circumstances for the report to be published.
The Health Minister was today addressing a major conference hosted by the charity Console on the prevention of suicide in Dublin's Clondalkin.
A number of experts spoke at the conference, "Suicide Prevention - Protecting the Family of Tomorrow."