Government departments and the HSE are hiding behind “EU law” and deploy “smoke and mirrors” in their replies on procurement policy in regards to Israel, a member of Irish Healthcare Workers for Palestine (IHCW4P) has told this newspaper.
Dr Angy Skuce, GP and member of IHCW4P, was the co-proposer of a motion on the issue at the IMO AGM in April.
The motion called on the Department of Health (DoH) and the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration, and Youth (DCEDIY) to make public the results “of any due diligence review of their procurement policies in response to the International Court of Justice order of 26 Jan 2024 (South Africa v Israel)”.
It also demands that any changes that have been made to procurement policies should be made public to ensure they are in accordance with international law.
Asked about this passed motion, a DoH spokesperson told the Medical Independent that the Department continuously ensures that all procurement activities are carried out in accordance with national and European Union law.
A DCEDIY spokesperson said it is obliged to use the frameworks put in place by the Office of Government Procurement in relation to common goods and services.
Asked about specific procurement policies regarding goods and services from Israel, a HSE spokesperson told MI that it “is a public body funded by the Department of Health and as such is obliged to ensure that all its procurement activities comply with relevant Government guidelines and EU Directives applicable to State bodies”.
Dr Skuce described these answers as “just more smoke and mirrors”. She said the Departments and HSE were hiding behind “EU law”.
“My question to them now is – what have you done to ensure that you are not buying goods or services from organisations that contribute to or profit from human rights abuses?”
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