The Department of Health, and Minister Simon Harris, have so far failed to respond to questions put to them asking if they had put in place measures, recommended by the World Health Organisation [WHO], to minimise the risk of a COVID-19 outbreak at an international event the Department is co-hosting next week. They have also […]
There are basically two competing approaches to thinking about the Coronavirus: The first is popular with many policymakers and media observers, and it is to basically accept that the virus is now out of control globally, that most of us will probably get it and survive, and that it’s just a fact of life that […]
Next Monday, the Global Alcohol Policy Convention will hold its annual conference in Dublin Castle, organised in partnership with the Department of Health. Over 1,000 people are expected to attend, from all parts of the world, including areas that are struggling and failing to contain the COVID-19 Coronavirus outbreak. The Department of Health are, at […]
A few short days ago, the nation’s gallant Minister for Health strode purposely out of a meeting with his officials, sleeves rolled up, frown artfully affixed to his forehead, and announced to the waiting public that he had a plan to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus: He was going to cancel a rugby match. […]
Between 5pm and midnight this evening, while you were enjoying your pancakes, two flights arrived at Dublin Airport from Milan, Italy. A third arrived from the southern Italian city of Bari. A commercial flight usually carries between 150-200 passengers. In other words, about 450 people arrived into Ireland from a country where thousands of people […]
The government is not even pretending to care about women’s safety any more. When Simon Harris had an abortion referendum to sell, voters were told repeatedly that the safety of women in pregnancy was a top priority. We were reminded that after the tragic death of Savita Halappanavar from sepsis, Leo Varadkar had set up the National Maternity […]
On the one hand, this can’t be right, can it? On the other hand, Dr. Brendan McCann is just applying the available figures to the situation in his own hospital, and the results of that are, well, not pretty: “In a series of private emails before Christmas, the Service Lead in UHW’s emergency department, Dr […]
“The Dáil will return next week”, announced the Taoiseach this morning, which is slightly different from his position yesterday, which was that the Dáil might not, in fact, return next week, because Fine Gael is so ready for a General Election. It’s good that the national parliament is returning for at least one more week, […]
Independent TD Mattie McGrath has said that there is now a full scale health emergency in Irish hospitals and that the Minister for Health, Simon Harris, is an “absolute disaster” for the health service. The Tipperary TD said that Leo Varadkar needed to step in and relive minister Harris from the role. Last week, the Irish Nurses […]
Yesterday, New Years Day, saw a small group of pro-life protestors conducting some form of silent vigil/protest outside the National Maternity Hospital in Dublin, an action that provoked anger from consultant obstetrician Dr. Mary Higgins: Right here (national maternity hospital), right now 1/1/20; wonder why we need exclusion zones @LeoVaradkar @SimonHarrisTD – beneath the windows […]
Senior gynaecologist Dr. Aoife Mullally has been appointed as the HSE’s clinical lead for abortion services in Ireland, having previously acted as Lead Consultant in the labour ward of the Coombe Hospital.
Minister for Health Simon Harris has only met with the board of the controversial Children’s Hospital twice in three years, it has been revealed.