HSE ‘must be transparent' about Covid equipment issues revealed by the 'Irish Examiner'

Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said the revelations in the ‘Irish Examiner’ about the HSE’s sourcing of PPE at the onset of the Covid pandemic highlight the need for a ‘culture change’. File picture: Gareth Chaney/Collins

How taxpayers’ money was spent buying personal protective equipment (PPE) and ventilators must form part of the Government’s planned inquiry into the Covid-19 pandemic, Sinn Féin has said.

The call comes after the Irish Examiner reported that there was panic at the heart of the HSE to source PPE as the pandemic hit in March 2020 and how its practices “went rogue” in seeking to shore up Ireland’s defences for the pandemic. 

Documents released show that not only did 1,900 ventilation machines sanctioned for purchase in March vastly outnumber the 746 ventilators which were actually required but, at one stage, orders had been placed for 3,447 units, at a cost of €137m — five times the required worst-case scenario number.

Sinn Féin health spokesman David Cullinane said the HSE’s relationship with a third-party company, Roqu, which sourced equipment in China, must be examined.

He said the findings in the Irish Examiner highlight the need for a “culture change” within the HSE from an overly defensive one to one of “absolute transparency”.

“We have to look back critically at what happened,” he said. 

It was a difficult time and I accept decisions had to be made very rapidly, but we also have to have full transparency as to how decisions were made. 

He said there are question marks about the procurement of equipment, the company that was used, and due diligence that was not done.

“It has taken a long time for the Irish Examiner to get the information that it has tried to piece together,” Mr Cullinane said. “There has to be maximum transparency.

“If mistakes were made, mistakes were made. The HSE should put their hands up and say these are the mistakes that were made and these were the reasons why.”

The 'Irish Examiner' reported how the HSE's practices 'went rogue' early in the pandemic in the rush to source equipment. File picture: Leah Farrell/RollingNews 

He said there has to be honesty about it and an acceptance that, while there were pressures, mistakes were made and we need to learn the lessons.

“At the end of the day this is taxpayers’ money and it is really important that there is full transparency,” he said.