Vol. 552 No. 4
50 Mr. Stagg asked the Minister for Health and Children the position with regard to the provision of iodine tablets to the health boards; the number of such tablets currently held by each health board; if it is intended that these will be distributed to the public; the proposed manner of distribution; when the distribution will take place; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12560/02]
As part of the review of the national nuclear emergency 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 accepted this recommend ation and the Eastern Regional Health Authority, ERHA, acting on behalf of my Department, notified the European Commission on 19 October 2001 of our invitation to tender for the supply of iodide or iodine tablets.
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, were followed to enable purchase of these stocks at the earliest possible opportunity. A contract for the supply of potassium iodate tablets was awarded to Kelkin Limited, Unit 1, Crosslands Industrial Park, Dublin 12, on 21 December 2001. Furthermore, the relevant statutory instrument requiring medicines to have product authorisations was amended to facilitate the placement on the market of these tablets without such authorisation. The first consignment of 1.5 million tablets was delivered last week and final deliveries from Kelkin are expected by the end of May.
In consultation with the Government task force on emergency planning, chaired by the Minister for Defence, Deputy Michael Smith, it has been decided to distribute the tablets directly to each household in the country through the postal system. In order for the cartons of tablets to be distributed safely and securely through the post it is essential to further package and label each carton. Therefore, a further tendering process was necessary for the provision of a mail fulfilment service to adequately package the cartons of tablets for delivery to each household. The ERHA, following the appropriate tendering process under EU legislation, awarded a contract to DC Kavanagh Limited, 43 Dolphins Barn Street, Dublin 8 and SonoPress Ireland Limited, Swords Business Park, County Dublin, for the fulfilment of the tablet cartons into purpose designed envelopes.
It is envisaged that fulfilment would be completed within ten days of the final delivery of tablets from Kelkin. My Department is currently liaising with An Post and making the necessary contractual arrangements in order to ensure the secure delivery of a carton of tablets to each household as quickly as possible thereafter.
With regard to the existing stocks, which were distributed in 1991, I am advised that the current stock held by each board is as follows: Eastern Regional Health Authority: 720,000, tested 16 months ago and usable at that time; South-Eastern Health Board: 360,000, tested in 2000 and usable at that time; North-Eastern Health Board: 180,000, tested in 1999 and usable at that time; North-Western Health Board: 3,000 untested tablets; Mid-Western Health Board: 300,000 untested tablets; Midland Health Board: Nil; Western Health Board: Nil; Southern Health Board: Nil.
