Vol. 314 No. 11
asked the Minister for Health if an investigation is being conducted into the source of the illness which caused the closure of Rush National School for the second time on 17 May 1979 and, in view of public disquiet, if he will make a statement on the matter.
22.
asked the Minister for Health the results of any health investigation carried out into the closure of Rush National School, County Dublin.
23.
asked the Minister for Health the steps being taken to determine the cause of the outbreak of extensive illness in the school at Rush, County Dublin, and to indicate what remedial action will be taken.
With the permission of the Ceann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 21 to 23 together.
Since the initial outbreak of illness the chief medical officer of the area has been in direct personal touch with the situation in Rush and has kept my Department informed of developments. The chief medical officer of my Department has also visited the school and reported to me.
I am advised that everything possible has been done both to care for the children affected by the outbreak and to trace the source of it. Investigations in this respect have eliminated such possible causative factors as methyl bromide and the water supply and, on the basis of the information available, I am satisfied that there is not a major cause for concern for the health of the children. Some of the children had mild enterovirus infection which caused stomach upsets, and circumstances within the classes involved may have combined to produce a psychological reaction in other children, which quickly cleared up.
The chief medical officer of the area is keeping my Department informed of developments.
Did I understand the Minister to say that the chief medical officer of his Department had separately conducted an investigation and was also satisfied?
He visited the school.
Is the Minister and the Department satisfied, as are the Eastern Health Board, that the matter is under control? The Minister will appreciate that the parents of the area are anxious for confirmation that there has been a separate investigation.
As I stated in my reply, I am satisfied that there is no major cause for concern in the health of the children.
On what basis does the Minister make that statement?
On the basis of the reports made to me by the chief medical officer of the area and to the chief medical officer of my Department.
Are the separate reports available?
The chief medical officers reported to the Department.
Can the Minister indicate the tests that were carried out?
I do not have that information. I do not see any point in making a song and dance about this.
I am not anxious to make a song and dance about this. There was a condition called a legionaries disease in America which they thought people were making a song and dance about but it transpired that they were not. I want to know if it has been finally established what the cause of the outbreak was. Can the parents feel reassured in sending their children back to school in the knowledge that there will be no further danger or problems?
Yes.
