Martin Browne (Tipperary, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

This raises huge issues about how the Department monitors the products that come into this country and how safe they are for use in this country. It was approved first on 21 April and, on 12 November, that product is still not off the market fully to the satisfaction of the Department, according to the Minister.

I also encountered this issue when I was on the council. Why we need to go to Turkey to source something that is made in this country is a big puzzle to me. We have all met parents and teachers since all of this broke. There is massive worry and fear out there. I had to remove this stuff from my own constituency office because I did not know about it until the story broke. It dealt a big blow to the confidence of the general public in the use of hand sanitisers, and that needs to be addressed. As far as I am concerned, the protection of public health is one of the key priorities.

What sort of assurances were received by the Department back in April when that product was being brought into the country?

Were there even any tests being done at that stage for it? In the Minister's statement in the Dáil, on 21 October, he stated that he contacted the HSE. Why was there such a delay in contacting people? Did the Minister know from the word go? On 6 October, the issues were raised and the Minister was not contacted for a couple of days. Was there any test done and what kind of assurance can the Minister give the public that these hand sanitisers, as Senator Lombard is saying, are safe? Is there any testing ongoing on any stuff that is on the market that is being brought into this country?