Immediate action is needed to save the lives of residents in nursing homes, according to the Pro-Life Campaign.

The group were responding to the news that more than half of all deaths to date from Covid-19 in Ireland have occurred in nursing and residential homes.

PLC spokesperson, Maeve O’Hanlon called the figure “devastating” and said a clear picture is starting to emerge that protecting residents of nursing homes was not given the priority it deserved.

“There was the baffling HSE decision on 10th March to relax restrictions on visiting nursing homes, undoing the restrictions put in place by nursing home managers, followed by a clinical directive from the HSE to nursing home staff not to wear PPE equipment.

“The claim from nursing home representatives that the HSE were also actively poaching frontline staff from nursing homes to reassign to hospital settings as the Covid-19 crisis started, is very troubling. So too is the claim that acute hospital beds were freed up by moving patients to nursing homes, which in turn likely contributed to the spread of Covid-19 in these homes.

Ms O’Hanlon said the Government and National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) must be held more accountable for their actions.

“That accountability needs to happen immediately. With each passing day more and more lives are being lost. No stone should be left unturned to assemble the expertise needed to protect the lives of our beautiful and beloved elder and dependent citizens, who deserve nothing but the very best care and protection from this State.”