Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have worked in Tallaght hospital in the past and I did some of my training there. It is a hospital that I am very fond of. I have worked in the medicine for the elderly services and therefore I know the William Stokes unit well. I was there last month.
The fact that the hospital has hired a new microbiologist and has put in place additional resources is welcome.
It is important to put on the record that hand-washing and good hygiene cost nothing. In fact they save a considerable amount of money. We should never allow resources to be an excuse for bad hygiene - it is no excuse - and I know Senator Zappone will agree with me on that point. In my local hospital, Connolly Hospital, doctors do not get a parking permit until they have gone through training for hygiene and hand-washing. This has had a 90% percent success rate. Perhaps the idea could be pursued by other hospitals.
Reference was made to Ebola. Many groups have expressed concern about our preparedness for Ebola and the need to be prepared for it. We need to continue to respond to the evolving situation. However, there is one thing I am absolutely sure of: if we have Ebola in Ireland it will be one case or maybe two and it will be dealt with in maybe one hospital. Unfortunately, between now and the end of the year, many more people and patients will get sick, sicker or possibly even die as a result of hand hygiene, medication errors and senior decision-makers not being on the floor when they are supposed to be. I call on all those who have expressed concerns about how prepared we are for Ebola to ensure they are doing all the things they can do their workplaces to prevent damage due to common infections, perhaps, rather than worrying excessively about one that is very rare.