Health « Thurles Information

Safeguard Risk Of Drowning In Thurles.

We pointed out previously, in November last, the total lack of Litter Bins provided on the Suir river walkway here in Thurles, resulting in cheap wine bottles, cans and other litter being dumped into an already polluted and slowly dying river.

But another problem has also now arisen. Overgrown Willow tree branches are holding back our floating filth, (plastic bags, drink cans, waxed paper tubs, milk cartons, wine and beer bottles); and this litter filth, in turn, is holding back footballs (we counted 6) and tennis balls (we counted 4), close to the edge of the river bank.

**Above 3 separate images demonstrate a need for Lifebuoys on River Suir in Thurles**.

So what’s the problem, I hear you ask?
The river Suir is presently in flood and some child or indeed adult is likely to attempt to retrieve one of these footballs. Should any person slip into the river, there is not one item that can be used, with which to assist in their recovery from this extremely deep water.

There is not one Lifebuoy or Life Ring in the vicinity of this unguarded river.
The purchase cost of one MOB Ring with 30m of floating rope costs a mere €17.00. A galvanised steel pole and base for use as a Lifebuoy Case, is more expensive at €166.50, but when you consider how much money is already wasted by Tipperary Co. Council on other projects; the cost of basic lifesaving equipment is a mere pittance in comparison.

Readers, do take a stroll along this unguarded river walk yourself, next fine day, and surely you will agree three Lifebuoys are immediately required to meet the basic need for health and safety.
Note also people have carved out their own grass path close to the river’s edge, preferring same to the overpriced tarmacadam strips.

Tipperary Boy, With Cerebral Palsy, Awarded €4.58m Interim Payment.

Tipperary University Hospital has apologised for deficiencies provided to a mother, which lead up to the birth of her son some five years ago.

Lennon Meaney Shanahan had, through his mother Ms Anne Marie Meaney, sued the HSE over the management of his mother’s pregnancy leading to his delivery.
The settlement against the HSE includes a pledge of €1 million towards night nursing care for the little boy, who has quadriplegic spastic cerebral palsy, resulting in his inability to speak and visual impairment.

Counsel acting on behalf of Lennon; Mr Bruce Antoniotti SC, instructed by Mr Jamie Hart of Agustus Cullen Law Solicitors, Dublin, confirmed to the High Court that Lennon suffers from the most severe level of cerebral palsy.

It was claimed, through their Council, that there had been a failure to offer induction of labour and that his mother had been allowed to leave Tipperary University Hospital in circumstances where her blood pressure was significantly elevated, thus warranting further medication. It was also claimed that there was a failure to carry out the induction of labour during the mother’s admission between May 21st and May 22nd, of 2018 last.

It was further alleged, that there had been a failure to ensured Ms Meaney remained in hospital for maternal and fetal monitoring; rather than being sent home as was the case, until induction was feasible from the perspective of hospital management.

The HSE admitted it was in breach of its duty of care in relation to the management of the mother’s pregnancy on different occasions in May 2018, thus resulting in a failure to induce labour. It further admitted it was in breach of its duty of care, in relation to the management of the mother’s pregnancy, following spontaneous rupture of membranes on May 24th, of 2018.

In a letter to the parents of Lennon; Mr Paul Shanahan and Ms Anne Marie Meaney, which was read to the court, the hospital said it accepted responsibility for these failings, which should not have happened.

Lennon’s case will come back once again before the court, in five years’ time, when future care needs will be further assessed.

Mr Justice Paul Coffey, in approving the settlement, stated that same was reasonable, before wishing Lennon and his family all the best for the future.

Closure Order Issued For Fethard Restaurant-Café.

On February 3rd last, a HSE closure order, under Regulation 30 of the European Union (Official Controls in relation to Food Legislation) Regulations 2020 (S.I. No. 79 of 2020) was issued to Mr Richard Gleeson, with an address at Dooks Dunes Ltd., Dooks Fine Foods, Kerry Street, Fethard, Co. Tipperary.

The closure order states:
“I being an authorised officer of the Health Service Executive under the Food Safety Authority of
Ireland Act, 1998 and S.I. No. 79 of 2020, and in exercise of the powers conferred on me by Regulation 30 of S.I. No. 79 of 2020, hereby direct that all or part of the business, it’s establishments, holdings or other premises including internet sites or social media sites, specified in Part 1 of the Schedule, be ceased with immediate effect until the earliest of : –
(i) An order to contrary effect by a Court of competent jurisdiction.
(ii) Further written direction by the Health Service Executive.

I make this order being of the opinion that there is failure to comply with food legislation for the particular reasons set out in Part 2 of the Schedule and being of the opinion that all of the activities of the business concerned and, where relevant, of the internet sites or social media sites it operates or employs, to which the order relates as identified in Part 1 of the Schedule be ceased.

This Closure Order further directs that:
All the business, its establishments, holdings or other premises be closed.

The Legislation Infringed:
Non compliance: The food business operators did not put in place, implement and maintain a permanent procedure or procedures based on the HACCP principles. Adequate HACCP based procedures had not been put in place and implemented for the production of parsley mayonnaise, beetroot hummus, rocket pesto and chicken and chorizo bap.

The results of microbiological analysis of official samples of the aforementioned products on 01/02/2023 found unsatisfactory levels of Escherichia coli (E. coli).
*The presence of E.Coli in the parsley mayonnaise, beetroot hummus, rocket pesto and chicken and chorizo bap, indicates that faecal pathogens may also be present or that poor hygiene practices occurred during processing and /or post processing.

The closure order is dated 03/02/2023.

Electric Ireland Calls A Halt To ‘Hello Again World’.

The Chief Medical Officer has urged, older people in particular, to reconnect with the rest of the world, some three years on from the first case of Covid-19 having been confirmed in Ireland.
In an open letter addressed to older people in Ireland, as part of a multimedia campaign ‘Hello Again World’, Professor Breda Smyth addresses the isolation and loneliness experienced by older people during the pandemic, saying: “If you haven’t yet returned to doing the things that you love, I am encouraging you to do so now.”

By this latter remark, we must assume that Professor Smyth would like older people to get out, buy a coffee; buy a lunch; visit the cinema; go to a show; attend a football or hurling game, buy a pint in their local licenced hostelry, etc.

No doubt Professor Smyth is correct, however obviously, this very capable lady has not seen her ESB bill so far this month.

The ‘Electric Ireland’ bill shown above was forwarded to us by a 76 year old male pensioner and same should help to explain our headline above.

But first, who is ‘Electric Ireland’?
Electric Ireland is the retail division of ESB (Electricity Supply Board). ESB was established in 1927 as a statutory corporation in the Republic of Ireland and the majority of shares are held by the Irish Government.
Previously known as ESB Customer Supply and ESB Independent Energy, the retail division of ESB has been rebranded to Electric Ireland in 2012. Recognised as Ireland’s leading energy provider, Electric Ireland supplies electricity, gas and energy services to over 1.2 million households and 95,000 businesses in the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Ireland – No Country for Old Men or Women

From the 76 year old male pensioner, who wishes to remain anonymous, so we will call him Pat; we glean from him in a one-to-one discussion the following information:-
Pat lives alone in a small terraced house having worked, nonstop, all his working life since 1967.
His current income is a weekly pension of €260.10, per week, [1,040.40 per month or €13,525.20 per year].
He pays local property tax at the lower rate of €90.
He is a car owner, 08 reg, Insurance €420, Road Tax €280. He spends €20 on petrol each week to attend Mass, Shop for groceries, and for attending at a medical clinic. One car service and 4 new tyres, this year cost him €798. Seperately a set of windscreen wipers fitted cost €38.
He has no electric cooker and no electric shower. He cooks his main meal on a gas cooker which costs €540 per year.
He owns one electric heater but has not used same since electricity prices increased.
His heating outside his living room is a Superser Radiant Gas Heater, purchased at a cost of €160, [Used sparingly to heat his bedroom, the renewal of this second gas cylinder costs also €35 per month or €420 per year.
He claims no fuel allowance from the state, since he gets a gift of timber for his living room fire from a farming neighbours.
He no longer eats breakfast, eating only two meals each day; a toasted sandwich for lunch using a electric sandwich maker, or an omelette using an electric omelette maker.
His heating outside his living room is a Superser Radiant Gas Heater, purchased at a cost of €160, [Used sparingly to heat his bedroom, the renewal of his gas cylinder costs €35 per month or €420 per year.
Internet and Mobile Phone costs €40 per month.
He was forced to replace his television in the last year and his washing machine, due to their age, at a total cost of €790.
His groceries, including meat, averages around €100 per week.
Non prescription creams costs him €26 per month.
He attended two family weddings last year, on which he spent €390 to buy footwear and clothing and €300 on wedding gifts.
A daily copy of a cheap newspaper cost him €547.50.
Last Summer Pat was forced to paint the outer walls of his home. Paint and labour cost €480.
Christmas gifts to family and close friends cost €208, mostly spent on confectionary items on adults friends and cheap toys for grandchildren.

Pat admits that his current savings amount to €129.22.
His next Electric Ireland Bill is €959.72, less Electric Ireland Credit of €45.87 and less Government Electricity credit 2 of €183.49; thus leaving the total amount due on an estimated bill at €717.84 due to be paid by March 9th 2023.

We totted up Pat’s expenses, revealing annual expenditure of €12,880.50 and savings of €129.22. We asked what he had spent the odd remaining €516 on.

His reply was that €365 went on the collection plate at Mass on a Saturday night and the remainder was possibly given away on donations in lieu of flowers at a few friends funerals, in support of various charities; “Oh and I bought a 3 pack of electric bayonet led light bulbs in Dunnes Stores, last Monday; they cost €9 something”, he quickly interjected.

“So how do you intend to pay your next ESB bill?” we asked.
“I can’t, so they will possibly cut me off,” came the reply, “but candles are cheap, the Summer is coming and as long as I can afford batteries for my radio I’ll survive. As the film title said ‘This is no country for old men’ or indeed old women for that matter”, he added, “and the next General Election, will be held, at the very latest, by March 2025, if not before, by the will of the people, and if I live until then, please God, me and my likes can make a few changes with regards those who currently rule over us; holding the Irish public to ransome simply because they can.”

Health Products Regulatory Authority & HSE Recall ‘ToothFaerie’ Toothpaste.

The Health Products Regulatory Authority (HPRA) and the Health Service Executive (HSE) are, today, advising consumers of a recall of the ‘ToothFaerie‘ brand of toothpaste products.

With some of the recalled products possibly remaining available to Irish consumers; both the HSE and HPRA confirm that these toothpastes are unsafe, and advise consumers to immediately halt the use of these products, which are also possibly available online and which do not meet the necessary requirements of the European Cosmetics Regulations.

The products listed include the ingredient sodium tetraborate (borax), latter prohibited from use in cosmetic products, since same may cause damage to the reproductive system, affecting fertility.

One batch of the product tested was found to contain lead, which can also damage fertility or the unborn child, and can cause damage to organs through prolonged or repeated exposure.

Yet, other batches of product tested were found to contain microbial contamination; [latter a bacterium causing disease or fermentation] at levels which could cause irritation or serious infection.

To date, no assurance has been received from the manufacturing company that a ‘Cosmetic Product Safety Report’ had been carried out on the stated now banned products. Such safety reports are a legal requirement for all cosmetics for sale on the Irish market, thus these products are considered non-compliant and unsafe.

Unfounded medical claims, were also claimed by the company in their advertising material relating to these products.

The HPRA wish to remind consumers to always check that any cosmetic product they purchase, whether in retail shops or via online, has a name and address within the EU, on the label.