The Minister for Health, Mr Martin, has instructed his chief medical officer to request a report from the Southern Health Board into the death of three residents at the COPE Foundation for people with intellectual disabilities in Cork.
A Department of Health spokesperson stressed the move was standard procedure in any case where concerns had been expressed and the SHB report would be examined before any more extensive inquiry would be sought.
Meanwhile, the SHB yesterday reiterated its assertion that there was no link between the deaths of the three residents. A spokesperson said it was not unusual for there to be a higher incidence of illness and sometimes death among this client group.