9 DFómh 2014, 15:37
The Joint Oireachtas Committee on Health and Children will hold an emergency meeting with Minister for Health Leo Varadkar and Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan next Thursday, 16th October 2014 on preparations to deal with a potential outbreak of the Ebola virus.
Committee Chairman, Jerry Buttimer TD said: “This week we saw the first person diagnosed with the Ebola virus in Europe and the first death in the US from the disease. Naturally people are apprehensive about the possible spread of this virus. We are aware that the cabinet is meeting to discuss the disease and its potential to spread to other countries, including Ireland.
It is important that people’s fears about a potential outbreak of the virus are allayed and calmed. Therefore, the Committee on Health and Children will hold an emergency meeting next week with the Minister and the Chief Medical Officer to discuss the preparations that are being put in place in Ireland to deal with any threat from the disease and to ensure the proper health infrastructure is ready to treat an outbreak of the virus here.”
Media Enquiries to:
Ciaran Brennan,
Houses of the Oireachtas,
Communications Unit,
Leinster House,
Dublin 2
Committee Membership:
Deputies: Jerry Buttimer (Chair), Catherine Byrne, Ciara Conway (Vice-Chair), Regina Doherty, Robert Dowds, Peter M Fitzpatrick, Seamus Healy, Billy Kelleher, Eamonn Maloney, Clare Daly, Sandra McLellan, Dan Neville, Mary Mitchell O’Connor, Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin and Robert Troy
Senators: Colm Burke, John Crown, John Gilroy, Imelda Henry, Marc Mac Sharry and Jillian Van Turnhout