Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 242: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Health and Children the breakdown of the numbers of MRSA cases per hospital; if same are not available when she expects them to become available; her plans to combat the spread of MRSA with regard to screening, isolation facilities, overcrowding and visitation hours; if her attention has been drawn to the fact that two babies have tested positive for MRSA at Kerry General Hospital; if her attention has further been drawn to other similar cases of MRSA at other maternity units here; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3017/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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For the purposes of the surveillance, prevention and control of MRSA the health protection surveillance centre collects data on MRSA bacteraemia, also known as bloodstream infection or blood poisoning, as part of the European antimicrobial resistance surveillance system, EARSS. EARSS collects data on the first episode of blood stream infection per patient per quarter. EARSS was designed to allow comparison of antimicrobial resistance data between countries and possibly regions but not between hospitals.

This year Ireland will participate in the Hospital Infection Society's prevalence survey of health care associated infections to be carried out in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The survey will provide the Department and the Health Service Executive with accurate and comparable data on the prevalence of health care associated infections, including MRSA, in acute hospitals in the Republic of Ireland. The data gathered from hospitals can also be used to compare with similar data being obtained in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The publication of the revised SARI guidelines on the control and prevention of MRSA in hospitals and in the community, the Clean Hands Campaign, the national hygiene audits and the development of national standards in infection control and hospital hygiene are some of the measures aimed at addressing the challenges presented by health care associated infections.