A total of 95 deaths that occurred at the Leas Cross nursing home in north Dublin are now the subject of an independent review.
Minister for Health Mary Harney confirmed the figure when replying to a Dáil question. She also indicated that the independent review, which was announced in July, was now expected to be complete by the end of the year.
It is being carried out by consultant geriatrician Prof Des O'Neill, who is based at Dublin's Tallaght Hospital.
When the independent review was announced in July, Minister of State at the Department of Health Sean Power said it would cover all deaths which occurred at the nursing home or which occurred immediately after patients were transferred to hospital from the home over a four-year period.
He said this would involve a review of the medical/nursing files of patients in the first instance.
While it was indicated at that time that the review would begin immediately, Ms Harney said it began in September.
Prof O'Neill will review deaths going back to 2001.
The nursing home, which closed in August after the Health Service Executive withdrew public patients, is now for sale.
The HSE withdrew patients after conditions in it were highlighted on a Prime Time Investigates programme.
After the programme, the HSE temporarily took over the running of the home and said it needed 20 extra nurses to provide appropriate care.
Fergus O'Dowd, the Fine Gael TD who has long raised concerns about standards in private nursing homes, called again for an independent nursing homes inspectorate.
"The Government has shown a capacity to move swiftly and attempt to legalise the State's illegal nursing home charges for the over-70s. It has shown significantly less urgency in facilitating the repayment of those illegal charges or in introducing the much-needed independent nursing home inspectorate," he said.