Dáil Éireann debate -
Tuesday, 23 Oct 2001

Vol. 542 No. 5

Written Answers. - Drug Supplies.

Gay Mitchell

Question:

316 Mr. G. Mitchell asked the Minister for Health and Children if he will ensure that the process of drug procurement requiring the placing of advertisements is bypassed to the extent that a basic supply of iodine tablets is immediately acquired in the interests of national security; and if sufficient supplies of drugs and medications are widely available to meet potential problem with anthrax and other bio-chemicals. [25170/01]

Minister for Health and Children (Mr. Martin)

Only the most severe nuclear accidents will require the use of iodine tablets. Ingestion of iodine tablets may be effective in preventing thyroid cancer in certain populations, especially children exposed to radioactive fallout. I am advised that the Eastern Regional Health Authority has approximately 720,000 iodine tablets in stock at present which are still effective. The necessity of continued stocking of iodine tablets as part of the health input into the national nuclear emergency plan was reviewed as part of an update of the overall plan which is co-ordinated by the Department of Public Enterprise. It was recommended that new stocks of iodine tablets should be purchased and pre-distributed as a more effective counter measure. I have accepted this recommendation and my Department is making the necessary arrangements as a matter of urgency for tendering and purchasing of new stocks.

The procedures laid down under Directive 93/36/EEC which allow for an accelerated tendering process with regard to the award of public supply contracts are being followed to purchase these stocks at the earliest possible opportunity. The European Commission has been notified of our invitation to tender for the supply of ten million iodide or iodate tablets. The deadline for submission of tenders is 13 November 2001. Furthermore, it is proposed to amend the relevant statutory instrument regarding the necessity for a product authorisation for this type of product to allow for quicker replacement of existing stocks.

At my request a committee under the chairmanship of Professor Bill Hall, director of the Virus Reference Laboratory, was recently established to prepare an operational plan which would be implemented in the event of a biological attack on this country. The committee agreed that in preparing a plan it will be necessary to identify the level of risk of such an attack and that the plan should reflect the risk identified.

The committee considered that as the risk of a primary attack on this country was low a plan should therefore be prepared to cater for a secondary attack. One of the targets identified by the committee as being central to developing a plan to deal with a secondary biological threat is to determine the availability of the necessary supplies of antibiotics and vaccines. The Irish Medicines Board has confirmed that sufficient quantities of the antibiotic Ciprofloxacin have been secured to treat patients in the event of exposure to anthrax. The Irish Medicines Board has further confirmed that it has also secured 300,000 doses of smallpox vaccine which can be used in the event of a smallpox attack. In addition, other relevant antibiotics which may be necessary are available in adequate supply.

Question No. 317 answered with Question No. 282.