Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 3 November 2020
48. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine the details of the way in which a dangerous hand sanitiser was rolled out across the schools; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33228/20]
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Biocidal products, including hand sanitisers, may only be marketed and used in Ireland once they are registered with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine and are entered on the Biocidal Product Register" in accordance with Regulation 20 of Statutory Instrument 427 of 2013.
The hand sanitiser Virapro was approved by our Biocides Unit and registered in April 2020 on the basis of a technical specification that it contained 70% ethanol which is a common standard for hand sanitiser products and fully complies with regulations. This product was correctly registered and its product specification was compliant. Therefore the product included on the Department of Education procurement list was correctly registered.
The issue in this instance was that targetted testing of specific consignments of product imported under that brand name indicated that the content of the consignment was not the approved product.
Following international notification of potential issues in respect of a consignment of sanitiser imported into Ireland, the Department took appropriate steps to investigate, detain and conduct tests on this consignment. Laboratory results received on 16th October showed that the products did not meet the standards for approval, particularly with regard to the presence of methanol.
The company was immediately instructed to retain all product in its possession and recall all remaining product under the Virapro name from the market or in use by the public.
My Department is taking this matter very seriously. The consignment involved remained withheld at all times and we will continue to follow up and investigate as appropriate.
The Department is continuing to increase its testing of product on the market to provide reassurance in relation to compliance with approved product specifications. Test results available so far indicate no safety concerns with other sanitiser products sampled.
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