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A MEMO WHICH said nurses could remove patients from beds “as trespassers” using “minimum force” to free up beds has sparked calls for an explanation from the HSE.
The HSE’s National Director of Acute Hospitals Liam Woods apologised for any concern caused by the redacted memo, which was circulated and flagged after nurses raised their concerns over the content.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Drivetime this afternoon, Liam Woods said the information contained in the memo is not HSE policy and was only intended as a briefing note for senior managers.
He said that the memo “became available” when a citizen asked questions and the HSE legal department prepared the memo, but said that no patient was removed because of it.
Earlier today, Minister for Health Simon Harris said that the memo was “utterly offensive and unacceptable” and had been rescinded.
He was agreeing with Liam Doran, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, who welcomed the retraction but also expressed worry over why the memo included those instructions in the first place.
Roscommon-Galway Independent TD Michael Fitzmaurice shared his concern, and said that those responsible for HSE statement on removal of patients should be removed from their roles.
“The notion that the HSE would ask nurses to use force to remove patients from beds is absolutely unbelievable and a further indication of the disconnect that there is between some of the people who run our health service and the most important people of all, who are the patients.
“The callous tone of this statement is quite astonishing and to suggest that anyone in a civilised society would be treated in this manner is quite shocking.”
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Well done to the Customs and Garda.
Great Job done by guards and customs again ..
Good work, cost me €1200 to get my injectors replaced because of washed fuel from a “reputable” filling station.
Report that station to the police. If you had to replace injectors your probably not alone. I wouldn’t let them off if they are making a quick buck which ends up costing customers costly repair work.
I already did Derek, so did alot of people in my area, they were shut down by customs about 2 months ago. 2 brothers from dundalk were running the station. Only found this out after they were shut down. All the staff were locals and hadn’t a clue what was going on
A certain supermarket chain of petrol stations are notoriously guilty of that
My husband’s family live near the border, in a rural area. They can point out the lorries, drive you past the laundering plants and name the people involved. They like most people in the area (and judge them how you like for this, but they have to live there) just say nothing and ignore it.
I’ve heard people say (and obviously this is no more than a feeling or hunch) that there is a certain ‘tolerance’ for this by the authorities. Plants that appear to operate openly, for months/years, are one day raided. Some people say (and this would be just hearsay) that on those days the stock is low, equipment has been moved and there are fewer lorries than normal.
I have heard people say they’ve seen customs vehicles regularly pass these lorries and farms in the time they operate, a long, long time before action is taken.
Of course I have no evidence of anything I’ve written above. It’s most likely just local gossip or an urban (or rural) legend.
Well Katie if there was no illegal fuel laundering there would be less Garda & customs overtime.
Same with the overall limerick gang situation. I guess the guards could shut them down in an instant…but why would they…the guards have the most to lose!!!!!!
that is serious bullshit!!!
Three people arrested-that’s hardly called tolerance!
Surely in this day and age we regulate this more effectively. Why can’t farmers keep all receipts for diesel and submit them with their monthly/annual returns to get a tax rebate. X amount of litres allowed per annum based on Y number of registered farm vehicles.
In a simple stroke, diesel laundering would stop, or am I missing something?
You need the North to stop too.
How do haulage contractors run their trailer units (refrigeration)
How do I prove I used a certain amount in my Generator…. etc etc….
Plus we are too damm lazy !
Public servant jobs and overtime.
Good system but i could give the farmer my receipts & split the money & theres the new fiddle. Not an easy fix this however if you target the buyers take vehicles & property where they knew what they were buying I think this would be better.
The problem is that the courts do not regard this as serious crime. A recent case saw a man covicted of laundery 6,000 litres PER DAY! When arrested he refused to say where he was taking the stuff or who his accomplices were. Sentence…two years, yes two years suspended. Where’s the deterrent.nnThe solution is to abolish agricultural deisel and repay the tax to farmers against receipts from the oil delivery company.
Just remember lads. If you’re driving back to Dundalk from Blaney, don’t go through Culaville or the siezed goods and plant will be taken off you AGAIN ! http://www.thejournal.ie/customs-truck-carrying-fuel-laundering-evidence-hijacked-and-set-alight-148712-Jun2011/
The reasons these operations are not just taken out immediately are as seen with this one! The authorities wait and ensure the plant is operating and that there are individuals present! I don’t think that you can say that three arrests are the result of the authorities having a low tolerance! I don’t think you can really criticise when on one hand you say the locals turn a blind eye and then say nothing is done! People need to take responsibly for what is going on on their own doorstep before blaming others for inaction!
O No! Not again……. (“,)
Fuel laundering in a border county?
Never!
Sorry but can someone explain how oil is laundered – do they mean diesel??
Agricultural diesel is sold at a lower price to farmers. It is marked with a red dye which can be detected by the Gardai if used in a private car.These smugglers buy or steal ag. diesel and use chemicals to wash out the red colour.These chemicals are very bad for modern diesels as they can affect the injectors and the mirror finish on their high efficiency fuel pumps.
What a lot of people don’t know is that there is a similar scam concerning petrol.Additives which are bad for the engine can be added to “stretch” the petrol.
Slippery !!!!!!!!!!!!
They should just advertise that this kind of fuel will damage your car costing you more in the end. Then people wouldn’t want it.
the people don’t know they are buying it most petrol stations are in on the scam there making a fortune selling it to unsuspecting drivers it ruins modern deisel engines you would be better off using the agriculture diesel before it was washed and take your chance st least it won’t ruin your engine
have your say