Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea said he would ask the Army to re-examine evidence relating to the death of an Irish soldier in the Niemba ambush.
Mr O'Dea said the question arising was whether Trooper Browne was killed in the ambush or survived for a few days and was killed near a village where he was foraging for food.
He added that a recently-published book (The Irish Army in the Congo 1960-1964: The Far Battalions, by David O'Donoghue) had outlined the second version.
"This differs from the long-held understanding that nine members of the Defence Forces died in Niemba," said Mr O'Dea.
Pressing for an independent assessment of the known facts, Finian McGrath (Independent, Dublin North Central) said the Minister's contention that Trooper Browne died at Niemba was disputed by two survivors of the massacre and the officer in charge of the search party.
Mr O'Dea said information from Baluba survivors in Manona hospital in 1960 led investigators to believe Trooper Browne was killed at Niemba.
