The Social Protection Minister says a document handed to him in his previous portfolio outlining issues with care services for the intellectually disabled was "most certainly followed up on".
Leo Varadkar says the information will likely form part of a Commission of Investigation.
Issues with the care of intellectually disabled people in the South East have emerged in recent months.
And today minister Leo Varadkar's confirmed that when he was health minister the issue was brought to his attention.
The social protection minister says a whistleblowers protected disclosure was brought to him, he met the individual along with former junior minister Kathleen Lynch and that officials in his department and the H-S-E did investigate further:
Minister Varadkar says Senior Counsel Conor Dignam was appointed to investigate, that work is nearing completion and that a Commission of Investigation may follow.
