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The Department of Agriculture should have issued a public notice about the problems with the ViraPro hand sanitizer on Oct. 16 when a formal notice was issued to the manufacturer to recall its product, Agriculture Minister Charlie McConalogue said last night.
Schools were only alerted to the recall of the ViraPro brand hand sanitizer on Thursday night after the Department of Education issued a statement.
Several schools said they were forced to close on Friday due to short notice, while many others had to struggle to find alternative products.
This was because some of the hand sanitizer products, which was one of those on the shopping list for schools, were found to contain methanol instead of ethanol.
Inadequate levels of ethanol render the product ineffective and frequent use of methanol disinfectant can cause nausea, dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory tract irritation, and headaches.
In response to the alert, the department had told schools that they could close on Friday or finish early, if it was deemed appropriate to do so.
McConalogue told Dáil that he learned of the difficulties on Thursday.
The department has acknowledged that it was first alerted to safety concerns with the hand sanitizer used in schools on Tuesday.
A statement was issued only on Thursday night after “it became clear that the product recall had not started and his department issued the statement on the potential risks of the product.”
He said that “the primary responsibility for product recalls rests with the company in question.”
He said there would be a complete review of the handling of the issue to ensure that the system is robust “and that lessons are learned.”
He said a potential issue was first raised on September 25 when the Treasury notified the Department of Agriculture that the European Anti-Fraud Office had contacted them about the import of a hand sanitizer from Turkey to Ireland from same supplier of a product tested in Denmark and containing excessive levels of methanol.
The department’s test results were fully validated on October 16.
Education deparment
Early Friday, the Department of Education acknowledged that it was first alerted to safety issues with hand sanitizer used in schools on Tuesday.
Opposition parties demanded responses about delays in alerting schools and the general public to safety risks related to hand sanitizer.
Labor Party education spokesman Aodhán Ó Ríordáin said an explanation was needed for the delay in recalling the product. He said the short notice provided to schools was “embarrassing and chaotic.”
“There is increased anxiety among the school community now and we need to clarify why it took the Department two days to recall this product. It is not acceptable to issue a statement at 11 pm to effectively close the affected schools, ”he said.
Sinn Féin agriculture spokesman Matt Carthy said the minister needed to explain why the issue came to light Thursday night, when a public retreat had been held since Tuesday.
He asked if the department approved this product in the first place and, if so, how.
Cavan-Monaghan’s technical director asked when Mr. McConalogue and his department “first became aware of the concerns related to this product. When was it decided to consider withdrawal?
“Why, when the decision to dismiss was formalized on Tuesday, was this decision not published until very late on Thursday night? At what point were the Tánaiste, the Taoiseach and the Minister of Health informed that another debacle was coming? “
problems
Pairic Clerkin, executive director of the Irish Primary Principals Network, said the poor notification on safety issues caused problems in many schools.
While some were forced to close, others ended up taking last-minute steps to ensure they had safe alternatives.
“Some principals would go to their schools around midnight to check what supplies they had,” he said.
Others rushed to organize alternative supplies Friday morning. Many of the affected schools had very little time to prepare. “
Product vendors are on a list of 11 authorized to provide protective equipment to schools.
St Patrick’s Boys’ National School in Drumcondra and Gaelscoil Ros Eo in Rush, Co Dublin said they had to close due to their dependence on the product.
Anne Looney, president of St Patrick’s Boys’ National School, said that if they had been informed earlier on Thursday instead of 11 p.m. on social media, they may have been able to keep the school open on Friday. “I’m sure there are some directors who didn’t see that. [social media post] last night, she got up this morning and discovered that the hand sanitizer in her school was an inappropriate product, ”Claire Byrne told the RTÉ program on Friday.
The school made the decision to close around 11:45 pm Thursday and informed parents. Mrs. Looney and Principal Natasha Bassett said they considered “several options” but there was too much uncertainty and decided that the school should close.
Frustrated
Tim Ó Tuachaigh, director of Gaelscoil Ros Eo in Rush, Co Dublin, said he learned of the recall in an email Thursday night and was frustrated to learn that the issue initially came to light Tuesday.
Ó Tuachaigh said some parents are “livid” and that it was “ridiculous” to find out so late Thursday night.
He said his school uses antibacterial wipes and surface cleaner from the same brand that was cited by the Department of Agriculture and that these, too, could be affected.
He said the school opens at 8:30 a.m. M. And that they would have been “fighting” to get the hand sanitizer removed and replaced throughout the building on time.
The Irish Secondary Teachers Association (ASTI) said the disinfectant recall is a matter of great concern and unfortunate “given the significant additional burden on schools in recent months to implement a series of measures in order to reopen and stay open. “
“We hope that no one has or suffers adverse effects,” said an ASTI spokeswoman.
“We are aware of schools with the disinfectant and are making alternate arrangements this morning. Some schools already have another disinfectant in place. Schools that rely on this disinfectant must be supported to address this issue as quickly as possible. “
In response to the alert, the Department of Education told schools they could close on Friday or finish early, if it was deemed appropriate to do so.
“The Department of Education is informing all schools of the need to verify if they have used this provider and have stocks of this product. Schools should follow the advice of the Department of Agriculture to stop using it, ”he said.
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