Minister for Health Mary Harney said today that a new study of healthcare-associated infection in Britain and Ireland showed that at 4.9 per cent Ireland has a lower rate of incidence than the UK.
Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Ms Harney said the study of 75,000 patients included 7,500 Irish patients.
England had the highest rate of infection at 8.2 per cent while the average rate in Ireland, Northern Ireland, England, Scotland and Wales was 7.9 per cent.
She was responding to a question from Sinn Fein deputy Caoimhghín Ó Caoláin, asking her what steps are being taken to ascertain the extent of serious infections and fatalities from MRSA and what further measures she will take to tackle the crisis in Irish hospitals.
The Minister admitted that it is difficult to identify the number of deaths attributable to MRSA as patients usually suffer from other conditions as well. She also rejected Mr Ó Caolain's suggestion that deaths from hospital-related infections were entirely avoidable.
"There is no such thing as an environment in which we won't contract hospital related infections," said Ms Harney.
She said that there was much greater level of data available now which didn't exist in the past and which may give the impression that healthcare-related infections are much more prevelant.
She said that over prescription of antibiotics was a worldwide phenonmeon that was contributing to the high levels of infection.