RTE Prime Time viewers were left in tears after Thursday night's "heartbreaking" report on nursing homes.
The episode saw RTE Investigates delve deep into why nursing homes suffered the most during the pandemic.
The third wave of COVID-19 caused utter devastation in care homes leading to thousands of deaths.
One agonising story was of Kathleen Thompson whose family had to watch her dying from an outside window.
Kathleen Thompson's son John said: "My sister Christine started clawing at the glass, calling her name, mam crying.
"She was in the room on her own dying, not knowing that we were there. For a woman who loved company, to die on her own… it is something that we are never going to get over."
Viewers took to social media to express their despair and anger at the way the residents were treated.
One person said: "Some heartbreaking stories of how people died in nursing homes and many left in squalor with uncleaned pads etc. Total lack of dignity and respect."
Another person said: "Shocking viewing on @RTE_PrimeTime on #nursinghomes Those poor families, those poor patients literally leaving their lives in incompetent hands, disgraceful."
A third Twitter user added: "This #RTEInvestigates is a really tough watch. Serious questions raised about what went on in nursing homes. It needs to be fully investigated & a public inquiry is badly needed. This shouldn’t have happened."
Another person said: "It is beyond horrendous what some residents have gone through in some #nursinghomes during this Covid pandemic. So many losing their lives from Covid. We need an inquiry immediately into this. Answers needed."
