PPE procurement oversight
Deputy Kenny raised concerns about alleged lack of oversight in the procurement of PPE during the pandemic and the scale of unsuitable stock stored at cost. The Taoiseach said he would get a more detailed HSE reply and stressed that decisions were taken to secure PPE supply during a crisis.
The Business Post reported that there was a lack of oversight in regard to procurement of personal protective equipment, PPE, in 2020. The figure referenced in the article was €770 million. In the HSE response to a parliamentary question I tabled last year, the figure was €1 billion spent on PPE. We all understand that, at that time, PPE was very difficult to get and it was needed in the health system. In the reply to the question I tabled, it was broken down that most of the PPE was unsuitable. It cost the State €8 million a year to store some of the unsuitable PPE. Surely there has to be an inquiry in respect of the money spent on unsuitable PPE.
Comment on this
I will get a more detailed reply from the HSE on the issue of the procurement of PPE. It is important to point out that, in the midst of a pandemic, actions were taken on a set of principles and making sure that we would have a sufficiency of supply of PPE.
