Human Services Minister Roger Jaensch confirmed on Thursday that the individuals were subject to an investigation, after historical allegations were referred to Tasmania Police.

With the assistance of an external third party, the investigation is being undertaken by Communities Tasmania, the department that oversees operations at Ashley.

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It's just the latest probe to be launched into alleged child sex abuse in state institutions over the course of several decades, with inquiries into historical abuse in government schools and the Launceston General Hospital also in the pipeline.

Labor health spokeswoman Sarah Lovell said a commission of inquiry - the Tasmanian equivalent of a royal commission - was needed in order to fully and efficiently investigate the abuse said to have occurred, and to ensure that potential victims weren't further traumatised.

"The problem with having three separate inquiries running concurrently is that you have three inquiries investigating the same type of matter in three different departments in a relatively small community," she said.

"I do not understand why [the government] is resisting this so strongly when it is very clear that there are some deeply troubling allegations levelled across a number of government departments. It needs to be brought to light, it needs to be investigated, and if there is nothing to hide, why is the government not committing to a commission of inquiry?"

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Ms Lovell acknowledged that some of the alleged abuse occurred when Labor was in power but said "regardless of which political party might find themselves involved at various stages of the process, no stone should be left unturned".

Greens leader Cassy O'Connor, who brought the Ashley matter to light in parliament, said yesterday that it was obvious there had been systems in place in government settings that had failed to sufficiently protected children and young people.

"It tells us that predators are still able to secure employment in places like Ashley, the Launceston General Hospital and, potentially, the Department of Education," she said.

Ms O'Connor noted that 10 days passed between when the Ashley staff were stood down and when she asked Mr Jaensch about the matter in parliament.

"What a good and transparent government would have done at the time is made a public statement about what was happening at Ashley," she said.

Government frontbencher Michael Ferguson said it wasn't clear yet whether a major systemic issue had allowed child predators to thrive in government-run institutions.

"What we do know is there have been allegations made, they are being taken very seriously and no stone will be left unturned in assessing those allegations," he said. "And if there is a case to be made, people will be taken to court."

"The Premier has been clear that if a higher level inquiry were ever needed he will do it.

"We'd never do a cover-up. We're about exposing the truth where people have broken the law."

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