UL Hospitals Group denies 'party' claim made by Limerick TD in the Dail

THE UL Hospitals Group has denied a "party" took place, following claims made by Deputy Richard O'Donoghue under parliamentary privilege.

In the Dail last week, the Independent TD said on May 29, 2020 there was a "retirement party" in University Hospital Limerick (UHL) for Dr Gerry Burke. UL Hospitals Group said flowers and cake were presented in lieu of a celebration.

Deputy O'Donoghue said he knows the date in question because it was his 50th birthday.

"We were not permitted to have my birthday party with my family and friends. However, on that day, there was a retirement party in UHL for Dr Gerry Burke. Professor Paul Burke, the CEO, Professor Cowan, and others attended. There were no masks or 2m distancing and no accountability or sanctions against management. Photographs were posted on Twitter before being removed subsequently," said Deputy O'Donoghue.

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In response to a query from the Limerick Leader, a spokesperson for the UL Hospitals Group said the event referred to by Deputy Richard O'Donoghue on the date in question was "not a party".

"This was a presentation of a cake and flowers to mark the retirement of a senior clinician, and took place in UHL at the end of a meeting of the Hospital Crisis Management Team (HCMT) on May 29, 2020.

"The clinician, Dr Gerry Burke, was retiring after many years of service, and the flowers and cake were presented in lieu of a celebration that would in pre-pandemic times have been properly due to a professional of Dr Burke's standing. At the time, Dr Burke was the Group’s Chief Clinical Director," said the spokesperson.

The response continues: "The HCMT meeting at UHL on May 29, 2020, was physically attended by a small number of colleagues, who at all times were in compliance with national guidance on the use of surgical masks in healthcare settings, issued by the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC)."

The spokesperson said the photographs of the presentation were posted on the UL Hospital Group’s official Twitter account that day, at 3.30pm on May 29, 2020.

Thank you @drgerryburke for everything. You will be missed. We wish you the very best of health & happiness in your retirement.
Dr Gerry Burke retired today as Chief Clinical Director of @ULHospitals. Read about his legacy & his outlook as he says farewell https://t.co/lFPY1eQfiM pic.twitter.com/VM7LphVEqI

— UL Hospitals (@ULHospitals) May 29, 2020

The spokesperson added that the images have never been removed and remain publicly available.