An independent review is to be carried out in to the deaths of a mother and her baby at Cork University Maternity Hospital this week.

36-year-old Marie Downey died after an apparent fall at the hospital on Monday.

Her four-day-old baby Darragh was found alongside her with serious injuries. He lost his fight for life on Tuesday evening.

The South-West Hospital group has launched a full medical investigation into the deaths and this afternoon, the Health Minister Simon Harris said an independent review will also be carried out.

He said this is now standard practice.

“Some time ago, I did change the procedures,” he said,

“There is automatically now an independent review carried out under the auspices of Dr [Peter] McKenna from the Women and Infants Health Programme,” he said.

“So that will happen in this case and I think that is appropriate in terms of not having a hospital or a hospital group look into the matter itself.

“I am sure they may look into it as well, but there will certainly l be an independent aspect to that too.”

Minister Harris also offered his condolences to the mother and baby’s family.

"This is an extraordinary tragedy," he said. “It is just so upsetting and devastating to have a mother and her newborn son pass away in one of our hospitals.”

Ms Downey and Darragh will be laid to rest this Saturday.

A funeral mass will be held at St Michael's Church in her home town of Ballyagran, County Limerick. The pair will then be buried at Castletown Cemetery.