Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 423: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the hospitals in respect of which there have been the most reported incidents of MRSA to date in 2006; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35730/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 424: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the number of patients who have to date died arising from MRSA infections; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35731/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 425: To ask the Minister for Health and Children the action being taken throughout the hospital services to prevent incidents of MRSA; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35732/06]

Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 423 to 425, inclusive, together.

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) 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. The Irish data for EARSS, which is published on a quarterly basis by the HPSC, showed that there were 445 cases in 2002, 480 cases in 2003, 553 cases in 2004, 586 cases in 2006 and 285 reported cases in the first half of 2006.

It is difficult to identify the number of fatalities attributable to MRSA as many people also have significant co-morbidity factors.

This year, Ireland participated in the Hospital Infection Society's "Prevalence Survey of Health Care Associated Infections" (HCAIs) in the United Kingdom and Ireland. The survey provided accurate and comparable data on the prevalence of HCAIs (including MRSA) in acute hospitals in Ireland and can also be compared with similar data being obtained in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Preliminary results of this study are now available. The overall prevalence of health-care associated infection in the UK and Ireland (these figures exclude Scotland) is 7.9%. The England figure is 8.2%, Wales 6.3%, Northern Ireland 5.5% and the Republic of Ireland 4.9%.

As expected, the prevalence of health-care associated infection was highest in regional/tertiary hospitals at 6% and lowest in specialist hospitals at 2%. 10% of patients with a health-care associated infection in the Republic of Ireland were recorded as having an MRSA related health-care infection. This is lower than the UK average of 16%. While the overall prevalence is lower in Ireland than UK, further analysis needs to be done before the true implications of this survey become clear.

Measures to control the emergence and spread of HCAIs are necessary because there are fewer options available for the treatment of resistant infections and because these strains spread amongst vulnerable at-risk patients. The prudent use of antibiotics underpins any approach to the control of antibiotic resistant bacteria, including MRSA. This, together with good professional practice and routine infection control precautions, such as hand hygiene, constitute the major measures in controlling and preventing health care associated infection, including that caused by MRSA, both in hospital and in community health care units.

A strategy for the control of Antimicrobial Resistance in Ireland (SARI) was launched in 2001 and includes recommendations such as hospital hygiene practice, appropriate antibiotic prescribing, active surveillance for the detection of MRSA and corporate/ clinical governance structures in the area of infection control. At present, active recruitment is ongoing within the HSE nationally to employ essential infection control staff such as infection control nurses, hospital liaison pharmacists, surveillance scientists and clinical microbiologists. The HSE are shortly to publish a three year Action Plan which will set targets in this important area.