The Chief Medical Officer is urging doctors to report any suspected cases of inflammatory disease in children, amid concerns of a potential link between it and COVID-19.
An alert has been issued across Europe after 230 cases of a new rare inflammatory syndrome called PIMS (paediatric inflammatory multisystem syndrome), which could be associated with coronavirus.
Potential cases in seven children here have already been investigated.
PIMS can cause high fever, a rash and could lead to children requiring ventilation in ICU.
The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) says the signs and symptoms are a mix of the ones for Kawasaki disease and toxic shock syndrome.
They say that while a link between PIMS and COVID-19 has not yet been established, "an association appears plausible".
Speaking yesterday evening, Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan confirmed a number of children here have already been checked for the syndrome.
He explained: "There are up to seven children thus far who have been identified who have been investigated for links in relation to this particular disease.
"What we'll be doing... is raising awareness across our clinical community.
"Although it's rare, unusual and there's no certainty at this point in time of its direct association with COVID... ECDC is advising enhanced surveillance with reporting of this syndrome."
Dr Siobhan Ni Bhriain, HSE Integrated Care Lead, said it's typically small children who are affected by PIMS syndrome and those affected would usually be "very, very sick".
She urged any parents worried about symptoms in their children to get them checked by a doctor, but stressed that the condition itself appears to very rare.
European health officials are now calling on researchers to investigate whether there's a link between PIMS and COVID-19.
They're asking member states to log potential cases to "strengthen the body of knowledge for this rare condition".
