Minister for Health Simon Harris has said he only became aware of the deaths of two babies in Cavan General Hospital yesterday and his thoughts are with their families.
He says he expects to have reviews of the two cases carried out by the Health Service Executive in conjunction with the hospital group in the coming days.
He added that it is essential that people can have confidence in maternity services.
The HSE yesterday said it is investigating the circumstances surrounding two separate cases at Cavan General Hospital in the past week.
Last Wednesday, it is understood a baby died following an emergency caesarean section.
A baby also died at the hospital on Sunday morning.
Separately, regarding a dispute over the location of the national maternity hospital at St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin, Mr Harris said getting the new hospital built is an absolute priority of his, and he wants to go ahead with it.
He said he has met representatives of both hospitals separately and together and he has asked them to approach a mediation process under Kieran Mulvey in a constructive and generous manner.
