The Health Service Executive is to launch an investigation into a possible vCJD (variant Creutzfeld Jakob disease) "cluster" in south Dublin and north Wicklow.
This follows a request from the Dublin County Coroner that the Department of Health examine an apparent geographical connection between three cases of the human form of mad-cow disease in the area.
In a written response to a parliamentary question from Sinn Féin TD Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, Minister for Health Mary Harney said: "Following the inquest into the death of a young Dublin man from variant CJD [vCJD] I have received correspondence from the Dublin County Coroner who has requested an investigation into the apparent geographical connection of this case with two other cases of vCJD.
"The chief medical officer of my department has requested the Health Service Executive to examine these cases in order to investigate any possible link between the two."
On January 10th, Dublin county coroner Dr Kieran Geraghty told an inquest that he was aware of a young man from Bray, Co Wicklow, who was suffering from the disease, bringing to three the number of vCJD cases with a link to the south Dublin/ Wicklow area.
He was speaking at the inquest of Jason Moran (24), Shankill, Co Dublin, who died last June from vCJD. Returning a verdict of misadventure in the case, the coroner further pointed out that the first Irish victim of vCJD, Offaly woman Kay Turner, had family links to Ballybrack, Co Dublin.
Earlier this month, a Department of Health source told The Irish Times that evidence of a cluster of vCJD cases was "pretty slim" given that that only two cases - one of which had a tenuous link to south County Dublin - had been confirmed.
Ms Harney said yesterday that the department's CJD advisory group provided her with scientific, professional and technical advice on all aspects of CJD and recommended policy stances on the issue.