The HSE has admitted that an apology was only offered to the woman at the centre of abuse claims in the south east this week, despite it informing the Public Accounts committee that it had already happened.

The body says it was intended that this would happen last month, however no apology was in fact issued.

Junior Health Minister Kathleen Lynch asked senior counsel Conor Dignam to investigate the handling of abuse claims which date back to the early 1980's.

The HSE says it apologies to the Public Accounts committee for the error and in fact two staff members had offered personal apologies before Christmas - and that an officially apology has now been offered to the woman and her family.

The junior minister earlier said a Commission of Investigation could still be ordered into allegations of sexual abuse at a foster home for children with intellectual disabilities.

But Kathleen Lynch said she won't make a decision on it before getting the results of an independent report, and said that report should not take long to come back:

Yesterday, the director-general of the Health Service Executive said he expects to meet with the Public Accounts Committee next week over allegations of abuse in a foster home.

The PAC heard claims that a foster care family may have sexually abused over 40 young people with intellectual disabilities.

The claims have been sent to the Department of the Taoiseach and the gardaí.

It is reported that the former South-Eastern Health Board became aware of the concerns in 1992, and all children were removed from their care in 1995.

However due to a clerical mistake, one person was left in their care until 2009.

The HSE has written a formal apology to a woman who allegedly suffered years of abuse.