Now all ViraPro products to be withdrawn

The Department of Education has said that all products bearing the ViraPro name need to be "withdrawn and returned to the supplier".

In a statement this evening, the department said it had been notified this evening by the Department of Agriculture of the latest advice.

"All such products had been removed from the procurement agreement on Thursday and the Department of Education will now advise all schools to cease all use of these products.

"These products have been on general sale and not just available through the education sector framework."

The update comes on foot of the public announcement last night by the department that The Department of Agriculture Food and the Marine had issued a product recall notice on ViraPro hand sanitiser (PCS100409).

It said the supplier of this product was one of 11 suppliers on the multi supplier framework for PPE for education settings.

That statement by the Department of Education at 10.20pm last night was followed at 11pm by a statement from the Department of Agriculture.

The Agriculture department said: "The Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine, has removed the hand sanitiser product Virapro Hand Sanitiser (PCS 100409) from the Biocidal Product Register due to possible public health concerns.

"Tests by the Department show that some of the sanitiser on sale does not comply with regulations governing the content and efficacy of such products. Some of the product contains methanol rather than ethanol.

"Prolonged use of such sanitiser may cause dermatitis, eye irritation, upper respiratory system irritation and headaches. This product may not remain on the market or be made available for use.

"The company involved has been instructed by the Department to initiate an immediate recall of all product. Members of the public are advised to stop using this Sanitiser with immediate effect. A Department investigation into this matter is ongoing."

This evening, the Department of Education issued a further statement in which it moved to give further details on the sequence of events - and which provided the information that the Department of Agriculture had now advised that all ViraPro products be withdrawn.

The department statement said:

"The Department of Education was formally notified in the afternoon of Thursday 22 October that the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) had removed ViraPro hand sanitiser (PCS 100409) from the product register.

"There was immediate follow up within the Department of Education and contact made with DAFM, in order to secure more details and that work continued all afternoon and into the late evening to establish the facts in relation to the product concerned; the reasons for the product recall, the laboratory testing results and an understanding of the public health concerns.

"As soon as the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine provided the Department of Education with the information and its formal statement, the Department of Education issued an advisory notification to schools and to media.

"Given the public health concerns and the distribution of these products in the wider community, it was both necessary and appropriate for the DAFM to issue the public information notice on the recall of this product.

"The Department of Education then concentrated on alerting schools to this issue, and made considerable efforts last night to contact all schools and media to spread the information widely.

"It was necessary to contact all schools because the Department did not receive a list of schools that had purchased this product from the supplier when requested.

"The supplier and all their products were removed from the education sector procurement agreement on Thursday.

"Prior to this, the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine (DAFM) had contacted the Education Procurement Service by phone on the afternoon of Tuesday 20 October.

"They indicated that the certification of a product range included on the Education Sector PPE multi supplier agreement was to be revoked.

Details of the issues and public health concerns arising were not available at that point and DAFM indicated that further information and formal notification would follow. The Education Procurement Service sought an update on Wednesday and it was indicated that formal notification would be provided as soon as possible.

"On Friday evening the DAFM informed this Department that all products bearing the ViraPro name need to be withdrawn and returned to the supplier. All such products had been removed from the procurement agreement on Thursday and the Department of Education will now advise all schools to cease all use of these products. These products have been on general sale and not just available through the education sector framework.

"Schools that have closed today do not have to make up the day later in the year. Schools impacted will also be provided with funding for an Aide for two days to assist with dealing with these issues."