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Calls For Investigation In Excess Deaths In Recent Weeks

Mortuaries have been placed under pressure as a result of a high number of deaths. Deaths have gone...
Ben Finnegan
Ben Finnegan

12:32 PM - 30 Jan 2023



Calls For Investigation In Exc...

News

Calls For Investigation In Excess Deaths In Recent Weeks

Ben Finnegan
Ben Finnegan

12:32 PM - 30 Jan 2023



Mortuaries have been placed under pressure as a result of a high number of deaths.

Deaths have gone up by 20% in a two-month period, according to research first published in the Irish Examiner.

Over 9,700 deaths were recorded on RIP.ie between December 1st, 2022 and January 25th.

It's led to funeral directors and mortuaries coming under pressure.

David McGowan runs funeral homes in Sligo and Ballina in Co Mayo:

"It's definitely busier in January.

"I've never seen it and I talked to the mortician in Sligo General Hospital the other day, and he told me in his 35 years he'd never seen a month like it in January."

GP Dr. Yvonne Williams from Shannon Medical Centre claims they've seen a surge in flu and RSV cases:

"That affects people over 65, quite severely sometimes, particularly if they have heart and lung disease.

"And we know from the cancer societies here and in the UK that they did warn us that there would be a surge in excess cancer deaths as a knock-on effect of the decisions we made during the Covid Pandemic."

Parish Priest in Ennis, Fr Tom Ryan, says he's not sure why there's been a big rise in deaths:

"When Covid started in 2020 to this morning, we have had 458 deaths.

That's just one town in the west of Ireland."

Aontu leader Peadar Toibin says he's concerned and has called for an investigation into why this is happening.



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Death Funeral Home Pandemic Rip.ie

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