Twenty eight percent of employees at University Hospital Limerick said they did not believe a friend or relative would get a good standard of care or service if they needed treatment there.
The hospital has been beset by overcrowding and embroiled in controversy this year, including damning failures that were revealed at an inquest into the tragic death of Aoife Johnston in 2022.
A survey carried out at UHL also detailed how staff were demoralised by media coverage and social media discussion of their workplace.
In one question, workers were asked if they would be happy with the standard of care a loved one would get if they needed treatment or admission at the hospital.
Nine percent said they strongly disagreed, 19 percent disagreed, and 20 percent said they were undecided about it.
In another question, UHL staff were asked if they would recommend the hospital as an employer for a friend or family member.
Ten percent said they strongly disagreed, 13 percent disagreed, and 19 percent said they were not sure.
Asked whether overall service provision at UHL was improving, 36 percent said it was deteriorating and 32 percent said it had remained the same over recent times.
The survey was conducted last year as part of biannual research carried out by the hospital on how staff feel.
UHL was approached early last week for a comment on the records but did not respond.
Right to Know has won a case where we sought copies of records on a decision not to proceed with an investigation into Minister Paschal Donohoe.
In early 2023, it emerged that Mr Donohoe had failed to properly record his election expenses when postering was done on his behalf by the businessman Michael Stone.
The minister apologised at the time saying: “I always hold myself to the very highest of professional standards and I profoundly regret that this matter wasn’t dealt with correctly in 2016.
“In light of the information that’s now available to me, I’ve taken the steps to address the issue as comprehensively as I can.”
Mr Donohoe temporarily stepped aside from all functions relating to the Standards in Public Office Commission, which fell under the remit of his department.
SIPO received a complaint which they closed in May 2023 saying the matter was “not of sufficient gravity to warrant investigation”.
At that time, Right to Know sought copies of the documents that underpinned that decision.
SIPO refused to release all the records saying they were exempt under two separate sections of the Freedom of Information Act.
We sought internal review and subsequently appealed to the Information Commissioner, who made his decision in early September.
The decision said: “I do not accept the Commission’s argument that the release of the records at issue in this case might more generally discourage complainants from approaching it in the future.”
The senior investigator later added: “Moreover, in the particular circumstances of this case, I am satisfied that neither the details of the complaint or the complainant’s identity, nor Minister Donohoe’s response to the complaint, were communicated by either party in circumstances which impose an obligation of confidence on the Commission, given the fact that all of this information was placed into the public domain.
“Indeed, in his correspondence with this Office, the complainant expressed his view that his identity should be made available.”
You can read the full decision below. We will post the documents when we get them.
The Defence Forces have said that of 79 troops found guilty of crimes under civil and military law over the past four years, 54 of them remain in service.
Soldiers convicted of offences including misuse of drugs, assault, breaches of COVID-19 restrictions, and robbery or burglary are still serving.
Earlier this year, Taoiseach Simon Harris said that any member of the Defence Forces with a criminal conviction should not remain in the organisation.
It followed outrage over the suspended sentence given to soldier Cathal Crotty following a brutal assault on Natasha O’Brien in Limerick in 2022.
Data released under Freedom of Information laws shows that 63 members of the military had been convicted of a crime under civil law since January 2021.
Many, but not all, appear to have been for more minor offences, according to the figures.
There were 38 convictions for road traffic offences, with 33 of those people still serving in the Defence Forces.
Four soldiers were successfully prosecuted under misuse of drugs laws, but only one of them remains in the military.
There was one case involving theft and fraud and that person is no longer a soldier.
There were eight convictions for assault and three of these people continue to be members of the Defence Forces.
The figures also showed that one person had been prosecuted for possession of an offensive weapon and is still serving.
Two were convicted of burglary or robbery and both remain members while one person who broke pandemic restrictions continues in service.
Five successful prosecutions for public order offences were listed, with three of those involved “still serving” in the military.
The Defence Forces said that two members had been convicted of sexual assault, and one of those has already left the organisation.
They said: “[This other] individual has appealed their conviction, and as per An Tánaiste direction, this individual has been put on special leave pending the outcome of their appeal.”
There was also one conviction for harassment and that person also remains a serving member.
Asked about the records, a spokesman said the Defence Forces had been clear there was “no place for any form of gender-based violence, abuse or any form of inappropriate behaviour” by members whether on or off duty.
He said: “The Defence Forces unequivocally condemns any actions by serving personnel that are contrary to military regulations or that do not reflect our values.
“Any conviction in a civilian court may have implications for the retention and service of members of the Defence Forces, as stipulated in military regulations.”
The spokesman said that in practical terms the Defence Forces always had to await the culmination of any appeals before discharges or other measures could commence.
He added: “Where disciplinary issues occur within the scope of military discipline, it remains a matter for the independent offices of the Director of Military Prosecutions and the Military Judge.”
The Department of Foreign Affairs spent more than €1 million last year on new cars including €335,000 for armoured vehicles for use in high-risk environments.
The largest bill was the €168,106 which was paid for a Toyota Land Cruiser 300 GXR for use in Abuja in Nigeria, FOI records showed.
The vehicle, which was bought for security purposes, was purchased from a dealership in Toronto for more than €163,000 and shipped to Africa at a cost of roughly €4,500.
A similar armoured Land Cruiser was bought for the Irish Representative Office in Ramallah in Palestine.
The black utility vehicle was bought from the United Arab Emirates at a cost of €85,569 while the previous car in use there was traded in for just over €32,000.
A third high-spec Land Cruiser was purchased at the Irish Embassy in the Colombian capital of Bogotá.
It cost just over €81,000 when it was purchased last November, according to invoices provided by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
The Department of Foreign Affairs said these cars were used throughout the working day and evenings on journeys that would sometimes be hundreds of miles.
They said vehicles were selected based on factors including public transport options, security considerations, climate, terrain, and safety.
An information note said: “[They] are used for as long as they can be operated in a safe and efficient manner without excessive maintenance costs or substantial reduction in their trade-in value.”
They said replacement only went ahead where the vehicle was old, where there was a business requirement, or when the costs of maintenance made keeping it uneconomical.
The department said they were also committed to more fuel-efficient models when practical but that some missions operated in difficult environments where “security and health and safety issues” were the top priority.
Forecasters at Met Éireann were briefed on the “profound impacts” from the possible collapse of an ocean current system that keeps Ireland’s weather relatively mild.
International climate scientists have raised the alarm over the cooling of what is known as the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC), the shutdown of which would be a potentially irreversible tipping point in the climate crisis.
Met Éireann forecasters were given guidance notes on how best to communicate the risks for Ireland and how the AMOC was at its weakest in over a millennium.
An advisory said: “It is projected to decline by a further 30 to 40 percent by 2100.”
Forecasters were told that a large cold pool of water, sometimes referred to as the ‘cold blob’, had been observed in North Atlantic waters in recent decades as part of the system weakening.
The guidance note said: “The northern part of the North Atlantic where the cold pool has been observed is the only global region which has cooled as the rest of the world has warmed due to climate change.
“Further weakening of the AMOC is expected to lead to a continuation of the cold pool in the North Atlantic, with the possibility of further cooling.”
It said that while warming caused by climate change was predicted to continue in Ireland, the influence of the cold pool could mean this was less than what would be seen in continental Europe.
The advisory said that while complete shutdown of the AMOC was still thought unlikely, it could not be “definitively ruled out”.
The note explained that if collapse did happen, the impact on Ireland would be “profound” with far more severe winters, warmer summers, and a possible increase in storminess.
It also said weakening of the AMOC was likely to result in further sea level rises around the country, in addition to what is already expected from climate change.
Public health inspectors visiting the Mount Street encampment of asylum seekers in Dublin heard that rats had been running around in daylight, saw street drains blocked with soiled toilet paper, and warned of a substantial risk of infectious disease spread.
The HSE health protection team said that asylum applicants living there had no choice but to use the streets as toilets during the night while seagulls and other birds rummaged through food waste at the site.
The HSE staff could not even tell how many people were living there, at first believing there were 200 but later discovering there were 273 when the encampment was dismantled.
When the inspection took place in late April, the public health staff saw “open defecation, faeces, including diarrhoea … and urination”.
Drains were found to be blocked with soiled toilet paper and garbage was evident all around the encampment.
The public health report, which was released under Freedom of Information laws, said: “[Department of Justice] staff had witnessed rodents at the site, even during the day. Rodents (and birds), as vectors of disease, further add to risk.”
It said trying to clean the site with power hoses was challenging because of the tightly packed tents and the risk of spreading contamination further.
Concerns were also raised that there could be drug waste on the site – including dirty needles – that had the potential to spread “blood-borne viruses”.
The report said even the most basic public health standards, which included access to fresh water, sanitation services, and proper waste collection were not in place.
It added: “The physical, psychosocial and emotional pressures caused by a lack of security and poor shelter compound the stresses experienced by these people, significantly undermining their health and well-being, and ability to recover.”
Staff of the Department of Justice said they were frightened of being trapped in their building if an encampment of tents set up by asylum seekers ended up catching fire.
In a series of pleas to bosses, civil servants wrote of overflowing bins, appalling sanitary conditions, and being unable to open their windows.
It said staff were in “a heightened state of anxious alert” and at increased risk of burnout as tents were “pressed right up close to windows” and with people dressing and undressing right in front of them.
Feedback gathered from employees of the International Protection Office (IPO) – which manages asylum applications – said the Mount Street encampment in Dublin was a “recipe for disaster”.
It said: “All of the … agencies with any level of involvement have shown themselves to be completely unwilling to take any measures – presumably as a result of concern about the negative media coverage that would attend any direct engagement.”
The views of IPO staff were collated in the period leading up to final removal of the camp in May with workers especially worried about what the summer would bring.
One person wrote: “I no longer feel safe in my workplace. I don’t feel safe travelling to work, I don’t feel safe whilst I am here in work, and I don’t feel safe leaving and going home.”
Asked about the records, which were released under the Freedom of Information Act, a spokesperson for the Department of Justice said: “The well-being of both staff of the IPO and applicants was the paramount concern for the department in what was a difficult situation for all concerned.
“A multi-agency operation resulted in the removal of the encampment of tents in recent months. The IPO continues to liaise with relevant agencies including An Garda Síochána and Dublin City Council where necessary to maintain health and safety in the environs of the IPO.”
TDs and Senators have been able to claim back more than €35,000 in expenses for the purchase of high-end mobile phones, earbuds, and tech accessories over the past year and a half.
The Houses of the Oireachtas said a total of €35,153 had been spent on the allowance, which allows politicians to claim up to €750 against the cost of a new device every eighteen months.
Copies of invoices show that of the 54 claim forms submitted since the beginning of 2023, 27 were for the full allowance.
Among the claims was one by Junior Minister Jennifer Carroll MacNeill who claimed back expenditure of €680, which took place just prior to her being appointed as a minister of state.
A copy of the Fine Gael TD’s invoices shows purchase of an iPhone 14 with a once-off charge of €379.99 and a set of ivory-coloured Powerbeats Pro True Wireless Earbuds that cost €299.95.
Fianna Fáil Senator Lisa Chambers paid €1,449 for an iPhone 15 Pro Max with 256 Gigabytes of memory in January of this year, according to receipts released under FOI.
However, only half of that was refundable by the Oireachtas with the scheme capped at €750 per member.
In July of last year, the Fine Gael Senator, and current MEP, Regina Doherty submitted a claim form of €828.99, with €750 of that eligible for repayment.
That offset the cost of a €529.99 iPhone 14 Plus, a €12.99 monthly insurance plan, and a €299 outlay on a set of Apple Airpods.
Former Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan was refunded €750 of the €905 that he paid out for a new device in April of last year.
An invoice submitted along with the claim form showed that this covered an €869.99 iPhone 14 and a famously sturdy Otterbox case that cost the Fine Gael TD €34.90.
While Apple devices seemed most popular among Oireachtas members, some opted for other brands.
Fine Gael’s Emer Higgins, who has since been appointed a junior minister, submitted a claim for €750 for a Samsung S22 that cost €977.99 along with a case and screen protector.
One of the priciest purchases was the €1,619 that was paid by Fianna Fáil’s John McGuinness for an iPhone 15 Pro with a whopping 512 gigabytes of memory.
The phone was bought from the Harvey Norman chain with Mr. McGuinness’ claim capped at €750 under the terms of the Oireachtas allowance.
One device was bought from a retailer in Ho Chi Minh City, according to invoices released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Independent TD Denis Naughten bought his midnight-style iPhone 14 from a Vietnamese provider for 18.97 million dong, which at the time worked out as the equivalent of €755.76.
Not all Oireachtas members were interested in top-of-the-range phones with one TD spending just €245 on a second-hand mobile.
Former minister Michael Creed of Fine Gael paid that sum for a “pre-owned” iPhone 8 with a five-month warranty that was bought in May of last year.
The €750 phone payment is separate to the public representation allowance, which is paid annually to the tune of €20,350 for TDs and €12,225 for Senators, and which covers office expenses, other telephony, room hire, newsletters, and a wide range of other spending.
An information note on the scheme for mobile devices said: “This scheme allows members to buy a mobile phone and car kit from a provider of their choice and claim back the cost of the equipment to a maximum of €750 in an 18-month period.
“The costs covered include the purchase of a handset, car kit, yearly insurance premium, maintenance and miscellaneous expenses.
“In order to be reimbursed, members must complete a claim form and provide supporting receipts.”
A briefing from EirGrid, which operates the electricity network in Ireland, warned of a possible “mass exodus” of data centres from the country if new connection agreements could not be signed off on.
The presentation said EirGrid had been warning of pressures on power supply since as early as 2016 and had escalated that to Minister Eamon Ryan in 2021 warning the country had a significant power “generation deficit”.
It said they had good working relationships with technology companies but were “being continually asked” about the likelihood of firm plans for new connection agreements.
Because of ongoing uncertainty, the briefing warned: “The big concern is that some of the large data centres decide to exit Ireland and that, in turn, leads to a mass exodus (as has happened previously in other technology sectors).
“[This would undermine] the government’s desire to benefit from the next phase of technological development in the ICT sector in Ireland (AI etc.)”
It said data was a “critical 21st century enabler of business and living” and that Ireland needed a “credible transition plan – not a shutdown”.
Asked about the briefing, a spokesperson for EirGrid said their responsibility was for a safe, secure and reliable supply of electricity now and in the future.
They said: “We recognise that electricity supply is only one consideration in setting large energy user connection policy, which requires a holistic and plan-led approach taking account of all challenges and opportunities.”
The spokesperson added: “In regards to future connections, while EirGrid participates in calls to support policy development, the connection of large energy users to the transmission system is currently aligned and will in future continue to align with relevant direction from the CRU [Commission for Regulation of Utilities]. EirGrid acts as directed in this area.”
A health and safety assessment of an encampment of asylum seekers along Dublin’s Grand Canal said “slips, trips, and falls” were inevitable beside deceptively dangerous water and that tightly packed tents, some with containers full of urine, could cause an outbreak of disease.
The safety evaluation said the number of tents could not even be counted accurately due to the “sheer volume” of them and the use of large tarpaulin sheets as cover from the elements.
The assessment by Waterways Ireland said that canals can be “deceptively dangerous” with deep water, thick sediment and steep slopes.
It said there were ropes criss-crossing each other from tents as well as make-shift washing lines, all of which created a hazard for occupants and members of the public.
The file said: “Slips, trips and falls are inevitable and should a person or persons end up in the canal serious injury or a fatality may occur.”
Waterways Ireland warned as well of a public health risk and said that while volunteers were helping occupants with rubbish bins, there were “no washing or toilet facilities”.
The assessment said: “A number of containers have been noticed and seem to contain urine. A strong odour was also prevalent on site particularly at the lock structures.
“With tents packed in so tightly and given the lack of welfare facilities the risk exists of a potential outbreak of disease.”
Asked about the records, a spokeswoman said: “Waterways Ireland is committed to fully re-opening all sections of the Grand Canal where temporary fencing has been erected.
“Having to erect barriers along the canal is not something we had ever envisaged. We acknowledge that the current fencing situation along a stretch of the canal is not ideal, but it is necessary to mitigate risk to health and safety which is our overriding concern.”
She said they had met with local resident groups and were looking at all options on how they might fully reopen the Grand Canal banks.