Reports in today's Sunday Independent suggests that Department of Health Officials had told HSE bosses to call off court action to forcibly feed 'Ms Y'.

The young asylum seeker was six months pregnant, and deemed suicidal under the Protection of Life during Pregnancy act, when termination was granted and her baby was delivered by caesarian section.

It suggests that the unprecedented intervention took place over the August bank holiday.

Department officials discovered that the HSE had obtained a High Court order to allow them to forcibly hydrate the young woman after she went on hunger strike.

However, in a statement issued this morning, the HSE says "the issues discussed and the legal action ceased was NOT related to a court order about hydration."

It goes on to say that "Those actually involved in the care of Miss Y at that point, and therefore responsible for the operation of the legislation, had to make decisions in real time in what was very complex circumstances. "