A 50-day supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers throughout the country is being stored in a former East Clare chipboard factory, the Clare Champion has revealed.
Deputy Michael McNamara has visited the site of the old Finsa Forest Products factory in Scariff where he has witnessed the storage of a huge amount of PPP in an upgraded warehouse facility.
Acknowledging the HSE has a number of storage facilities for PPE, Deputy McNamara said the amount of PPE in Finsa is enough to supply the needs of the whole country for 50 days.
In addition to security, the East Clare Deputy believes some employment was generated as a result of upgrading the warehouse, and there are also plans to substantially improve other existing buildings.
“PPE is by its nature flammable. Manufacturing ceased on the Finsa site in December 2010. For a short period afterwards, a number of sales staff were retained on site before they were moved.
“The site has essentially being lying idle and deteriorating for seven or eight years when there has been no employment and nothing happening there.
“It affects the morale of a town when an industrial estate is deteriorating. I am not suggesting it is a magic bullet but it is better than nothing to have works carried out on the site to stop it deteriorating.”
Deputy McNamara questioned Health Service Executive chief executive Paul Reid about the national supply of PPE at the Special Dáil Covid-19 Committee earlier this week.
The committee chairman congratulated the HSE for sourcing PPE at the start of the pandemic and there still is on the world market.
Deputy McNamara asked Mr Reid if the HSE will provide PPE to nursing homes if they can’t access it in the local market.
Mr Reid confirmed the HSE has secured orders that will ensure there is enough PPE until next March.
“59 million items of PPE arrived this week and 10 million items will arrive next week. The distribution of these will continue as they did before primarily around supports to nursing homes provided by the state and we have received reductions in price.”
Deputy McNamara asked if there is a strategic plan to ensure Ireland has a long term stockpile of PPE.
Mr Reid said the HSE has two stockpiles in major warehouses and are also working with government departments to scale up Irish indigenous industries to transition towards PPE manufacture and have enjoyed a good deal of success with masks and gowns.
Dan Danaher
East Clare correspondent, Dan Danaher is a journalism graduate of Rathmines and UL. He has won numerous awards for special investigations on health, justice, environment, and reports on news, agriculture, disability, mental health and community.