Co Kildare TD calls for inquiry into nursing home deaths
"These fragile men and women in our county died frightening deaths. They died alone. Many died unnecessarily. Their families are traumatised."
A Co Kildare TD says she is 'horrified' by the level of nursing home deaths in Co Kildare.
Deputy Réada Cronin said: "I am horrified by the Coroner’s report on the nursing-home deaths in Kildare and I thank him for the public compassion and concern he showed towards those who died and for the public dignity he afforded them and their families. "
She said: "I have been raising this issue in the Dáil, repeatedly, and to little or no public response. What does that say about our attitude to our elderly?"
Deputy Cronin said: "In July, the HSE confirmed to me that neither they, nor the Health Protection Surveillance Centre, collected testing data on the 67 patients transferred from hospitals to nursing homes in North Kildare. I was horrified at the time and I am horrified now that these fragile people were treated like this. Transferring them to nursing homes without testing data is like throwing a lighting match into a petrol tank."
She said: "I cannot understand the cool way the deaths of our elderly in nursing homes has been accepted. All of us will be old if we are lucky. Even selfishly, it’s in all our interest to care.
I have already called for a Scally-type investigation into our nursing-home deaths and am calling tonight for a separate, forensic and swift response to the situation in Kildare.
My heart goes out to the people who died and to their families.
We need to have a serious conversation in Ireland about what deserves public attention.
Politics is not entertainment and PR. It is a matter of life and death, as we see all too starkly in our Kildare nursing homes.
These fragile men and women in our county died frightening deaths. They died alone. Many died unnecessarily. Their families are traumatised."
Deputy Cronin said: "We must have answers."