Hospitals and other medical facilities across Donegal will receive large supplies of personal protection equipment against Covid-19 this weekend.
Concern had been expressed by staff at Letterkenny University Hospital over the lack of PPE for frontline medical staff.
However, a huge consignment of such equipment is now on its way to Ireland.
In fact, the Government has said up to 60 plane-loads of such equipment will arrive in Ireland from Sunday.
Dr Colm Henry said millions of goggles, masks, suits are coming from China for frontline medical workers treating patients infected with the illness.
Speaking at last night’s Covid press conference, he said: “We certainly want to protect our staff and we want to secure a steady supply of personal protective equipment, which we’re hoping will begin to be shipped in from China this coming Sunday in large quantities.
“All the equipment we need will be coming in their millions in 50 to 60 airplane loads.”
Aer Lingus will be sending planes over to the country to collect the supplies.
A number of pilots have volunteered to fly the jets to China and back.
Minister for Health Simon Harris said the PPE delivery is “probably what would normally do you for about 13 years.”
He told Virgin Media News: “Usually in a year we’d spend about €15 million on personal protective equipment – we’re going to spend about €225 million this year.”
Elsewhere in Donegal county councillor Micheal Mac Giolla Easbuig pleaded with company owners to ensure that all their staff were properly protected.
He said he was contacted in relation to safety concerns about a large employer in West Donegal.
He said “I was told that this company was not providing fully proper safety materials for its staff. Vital equipment such as gloves, masks, sanitiser is not being made available and the government’s order to ensure physical distancing is not being enforced.
“This is a factory with a lot of workers, all of whom are at risk of contracting the Covid-19 virus, as too are their families.
“Clearly, these employers have scant regard for the well-being of their workforce.
For the sake of their health, all workers should join a trade union. In the short-term, however, this company must recognise its duty of care to its employees and provide the necessary personal protection equipment and enforce safe physical distancing practices.”
