Andrews asked to clarify number of children's deaths in care

The Minister for Children is being asked to clarify the number of children who have died in State care and carry out a full investigation.

The call comes after a report in the Sunday Business Post claimed that up to 200 children may have lost their lives while in the care of the State.

Fine Gael's Children's spokesman Alan Shatter said the Minister had estimated the number at between 20 and 30.

Deputy Shatter said it was necessary for all the facts to come out. "If 200 children died in State care in the last decade, that shouldn’t be a secret," he said.