'A strange story': Taoiseach says 'no evidence' to support Waterford mortuary claims

The Taoiseach says there's no evidence dead bodies were left rotting in hallways in University Hospital Waterford.

'A strange story': Taoiseach says 'no evidence' to support Waterford mortuary claims

The Taoiseach says there's no evidence dead bodies were left rotting in hallways in University Hospital Waterford.

Speaking as he visited the county, Leo Varadkar disputed the claims of a number of consultants.

Last week, a leaked letter from four consultants at the hospital claimed bodies were being left on trolleys in the hospital because the mortuary was full.

They said the conditions were so bad that some families had to be told to have closed caskets at the funerals of their loved ones.

The HSE and the hospital disputes this.

Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin TDs in Waterford have called for management of the hospital to appear before an Oireachtas committee.

Taoiseach Varadkar said today: "In relation to the claims and counter-claims, I don't know for sure what the truth is.

"We have a letter from a number of consultants last October alleging that there were dead bodies on trollies decomposing. However, no evidence has been brought forward to support that.

"The coroner was unaware of it. The funeral homes have been asked and are unaware of it. There were no incidents reports from any staff. There were also no complaints from any families.

"It's definitely a strange story. I don't know if those claims are true or not but it doesn't seem that there's any evidence to support them.

"Certainly, those who made them haven't put forward any evidence to support them."

It was one of a number of local issues put to the Taoiseach as he canvassed in Waterford for a Yes vote in the upcoming plebiscite on directly elected mayors.

Leo Varadkar also addressed a suspected acid attack on three teenage boys in the city:

"You really have to wonder what kind of poison exists in the mind of somebody who would throw acid on another person."

The Taoiseach will also travel to Cork and Limerick on the campaign trail this week ahead of multiple votes being held next month.

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