Tag Archives: Paul Reid

ABOUT 30 staff who are considered vulnerable workers are being reassigned to other duties in the UL Hospitals’ Group, it emerged this week. The reassignment was completed in compliance with the Return to Work Safely Protocol produced by the Health and Safety Authority, HSE and the Department of Health, and in accordance with human resources and occupational health guidance. In an overview of Covid-19 circulated for county councillors, UL Hospitals’ Group chief executive officer, Colette Cowan revealed local laboratory testing for Covid-19 at University Hospital Limerick (UHL) reached a new high of 280 tests in a single day recently. The group’s microbiology team and medical scientists have worked extremely hard to scale up testing and they are now at the limits of what can be achieved with existing equipment. The group are sourcing new test instruments that will allow it to further increase and enhance local testing capacity at UHL. Stocks of Personal Protective Equipment within the group are currently …

  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. …

CLARE Independent TD, Michael McNamara has said he doesn’t expect the new Covid-19 Dáil committee, of which be became chairperson this week, to be a star chamber or to make a political football of public health guidelines. Responding to questions from The Clare Champion this week, Deputy McNamara said he expected the high-profile committee to treat witnesses, who will include Chief Medical Officer (CMO) Dr Tony Holohan, with respect and to focus on matters of public interest and information. The committee, which is the only one sitting currently, is made up of four members each from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and Sinn Féin, with one seat each for other parties and Independent groups. On Tuesday, it elected Deputy McNamara, by lunchtime, to be its chair, before a longer-than-expected private session which continued into the late afternoon. For reasons of social distancing and to ensure the committee has legal privilege, the meeting took place in the Dáil chamber, with the Scariff-based …