Dáil debates

Thursday, 11 February 2021

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme: Statements

 

1:50 pm

Photo of Louise O'ReillyLouise O'Reilly (Dublin Fingal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I ask for that to include contract cleaners. There is a very specific issue - I can talk to the Minister about it afterwards - with contract cleaners not necessarily being included, even though we all agree they should be.

I wish to ask about an issue relating to procurement. The HSE paid Roqu Media International €10 million to import ventilators from China which were never used. Roqu Media is a festival management company. I suppose we can all roll our eyes collectively over why we were getting ventilators from such a company. What is the dispute between Roqu Media and the HSE that has resulted in the HSE denying journalists freedom of information requests due to commercial sensitivity? How advanced is this dispute given that the transactions happened ten months ago? Where do things stand given that Roqu Media claims there is no dispute? How many suppliers supplied the 465 ventilators? Who are they? Where are the machines now? Have the quality issues with the ventilators been addressed by the Department to the extent that the Minister would be confident that there will not be a recurrence of the situation that arose?

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