Health Minister James Reilly has asked the health safety watchdog HIQA to carry out a review of maternity services safety at Cavan General Hospital.

This follows the death of three infants in the hospital in the past 18 months, including two in the past month.

HIQA will inspect the Cavan maternity unit to check on safety standards.

There is already a major HIQA safety investigation underway at Portlaoise Hospital, following a number of unexpected infant deaths in the maternity unit.

However, in spite of the announcement of the review, Helath Minister James Reilly said yesterday his Chief Medical Officer, Tony Holohan, had assured him that Cavan maternity services were ' very safe and very good'.