She confirmed that the number of deaths in the 0-5 age group was the largest among the asylum-seeker population in 2002-14.

In a written Dáil response to Sinn Féin TD Michael Colreavy, Ms Fitzgerald confirmed that there were 61 asylum-seeker deaths in direct provision between 2002 and 2014, 41 of whom were males.

The cause of death is recorded on their death certificates.

The Government’s Reception and Integration Agency (RIA) stated last night that neither the HSE, coroners, nor healthcare providers have ever indicated that the direct provision system played any part in the deaths of asylum seekers.

However, Irish Refugee Council chief executive Sue Conlan said yesterday: “It is known that poverty is a contributory factor in childhood deaths. It is state policy to keep children of asylum seekers in poverty and therefore we cannot rule out the possibility that the policy of direct provision is a factor in these deaths.”

Ms Fitzgerald said one death of the 61 is believed to have been a suicide in hospital involving a newly arrived asylum seeker in 2008.

She confirmed that three of the infant deaths were believed to have been still-births. The next largest age group of those to have died in direct provision was 30-35, with nine dying between 2002 and 2014, followed by six deaths in each of the following age bands: 26-30; 36-40; and 46-50. There have been four deaths in the 16-20 age band and three in the 21-25 band during the period.

The RIA said in a statement that it “does not hold or have access to death certificates. In most cases, the deaths would have occurred outside the asylum centres themselves, eg. in hospitals.

“Information available to the RIA indicates that the causes of death ranged from cancers, heart conditions to traffic accidents, and, in the case of deaths of children under the age of five, it is believed that a number were suspected cot deaths and still births.”