The Minister of State for Primary Kathleen Lynch has hit out at the row brewing between the Health Information and Quality Authority (HIQA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE).

The HSE published its correspondence with the health watchdog on a draft report into the deaths of a number of babies at Portlaoise hospital.

In one letter, the director-general of the HSE Tony O'Brien said he did not agree with a number of the findings and the process used in the investigation.

He said it is vital people have confidence in the HSE to deliver vital services in a timely and appropriate manner, and the draft findings would 'shatter' that confidence.

In another, Mr O'Brien said it appears that there are more than 250 adverse findings or inferences in the draft report.

But Ms Lynch told Newstalk Breakfast that families should not be brought into the middle of all this.

Meanwhile, a new HIQA report has revealed children in Cork have been waiting years to be allocated a social worker. Some of the cases reported were deemed to involve children with "highly complex and acute needs".

The findings are from a full inspection of services in the county from October of last year.

Kieran McGrath spoke to Newstalk Lunchtime with Jonathan Healy yesterday - and said the report was "damning" and not exclusive to Cork.

In response to this, Ms Lynch said they are recruiting social workers on a constant basis.