Liam Twomey (Wexford, Fine Gael)

This refers to a recent parliamentary question which stated the Health and Safety Authority is focusing on the existence and implementation of a comprehensive infection control policy. I seek a bit of background on this. What we are focusing on here is the significant increase in cases of MRSA, the increase in cases of tuberculosis — a recent report stated there were 300 cases in Dublin alone — and the increase in cases of hepatitis B. While we have identified there is a problem to some to degree, has the HSE any plans to help hospitals, nursing homes and other care settings to draw up these site-specific risk assessments for their institutions and to identify and correct the problems because the road the HSA is going will either close these institutions or expose them to massive amounts of litigation?

We know the biological agents within the health service that have gone out of control. We are not talking only about the baseline hospital acquired infections but about how they have gone out of control. Apart from the hygiene audit, has the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children any plans in place to assist facilities within the health service to draw up these risk assessments and to give the resources to correct the difficulties identified? For example, a decade ago hospitals stopped swabbing hospital workers to see if they had MRSA and therefore workers and patients have been probably more exposed to MRSA. I want to know what progress she has made in moving this matter of hygiene on a little.

See this speech in context