Aontú urge Cavan public to support 'People's COVID Inquiry'

People across County Cavan who lost loved ones in Nursing Homes during COVID 19 are being encouraged to participate in a new initiative.

Care Champions who advocate for the rights of vulnerable individuals and their families receiving care in Ireland, have launched a drive to hold ‘The People's COVID Inquiry’, to collate the stories of those affected by deaths of people in nursing homes during the pandemic.

“The groundbreaking initiative is vital step towards gathering information around the handling of thousands of deaths in nursing homes during the pandemic,” Aontú Cllr Sarah O’Reilly says.

“I know how hard the Nursing homes in Cavan worked to protect their patients, they did their utmost, but really they were left on their own. The Government gave them scant support.

“The heartbreaking deaths of people in nursing homes during COVID 19 is one of the biggest human rights issues of our times. 2,457 people died in Nursing homes with some 21,936 people contracting the virus in nursing homes during the Pandemic."

Cllr O'Reilly stressed Aontú's campaign for "a full COVID enquiry" that would compel people to testify.

"I’m afraid the Government’s proposed ‘evaluation’ falls far short of this”.

“’The People’s Enquiry’ on the other hand will gather the experiences of a wide range of people including human rights experts, legal professionals and academics assembled to conduct this inquiry.

“It is being organised by ‘Care Champions’, a group that has been vocal in its calls for a thorough investigation into the policies and practices in Ireland’s care facilities during COVID 19. This independent review will collate information from surviving residents, family members, healthcare staff, healthcare experts and other key stakeholders in a bid to determine how COVID was handled.

“Also importantly it will detail their experiences in trying to get answers from official channels following the deaths of their loved ones.”