Taoiseach to seek advice from Chief Medical Officer following increase in deaths

An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar will seek advice from the chief medical officer (CMO) following an increase in deaths, that's according to a recent report from The Irish Examiner.

Analysis of death notices on the website rip.ie shows that there were 9,718 notices published in the eight-week period from December 1, 2022 to January 25, 2023. 

This is up 20 per cent from 8,075 in the same period a year earlier.

The Fine Gael leader, who is also a former doctor, has told the Dáil that an increase in the number of excess deaths 'probably relates' to the fact that RSV, influenza, and Covid are all circulating at the moment, but insisted that he will be asking the CMO Professor Breda Smyth to examine the issue.

Explaining his decision, he said: "I am aware that in Ireland and in a lot of countries there has been a significant increase in excess deaths this winter, even more so than was the case during the pandemic, or at least during the lockdowns.

"That is a matter of concern."

Mr Varadkar continued: "I am going to seek the advice and opinion of the Chief Medical Officer on it.

"It probably relates to the fact that RSV, influenza, and Covid are all circulating at the moment, against the backdrop of reduced immunity, because people were socially distancing during the lockdowns, and also because there was a lot of unmet health need during the lockdowns which is now coming back at us.

"That is just my impression," he added.