A group representing children's organisations has called for all cases involving children who have died while in State care to be reviewed by the independent group set up to examine the issue.
The Children's Rights Alliance is the latest group to respond to yesterday's confirmation by the Health Service Executive that 37 children have died in care over the past decade.
Minister for Children Barry Andrews has said the HSE will provide additional information to clarify the categories of cases by next Friday.
On Thursday, Minister for Health Mary Harney said she understood that the number of children who had died in State care over the past ten years was 23.
However, yesterday the HSE revealed it was 37.
Chief Executive of the HSE Professor Brendan Drumm has insisted this figure is reliable.
He has also defended the decision not to hand over files relating to children who died in care to the Government's review group, which was set up to examine the issue.
Fine Gael spokesperson on Children Alan Shatter questioned whether the HSE figure included the case of Daniel McAnaspie, who was found stabbed to death earlier this month.
Chief Executive of Barnardos Fergus Finlay has insisted that a final figure needs to be provided, including children who have died while waiting for care, or those who had been known to the HSE as being 'at risk'.
