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Break-in at medical records centre behind discovery of personal files in Donegal park

The HSE has admitted that the discovery of medical files in a park in Donegal in June happened after a break-in to a medical centre.

THE HSE HAS admitted that the discovery of medical files in a park and on streets in Co Donegal happened after a break-in to a medical records centre.

There was public outcry after the private file of an elderly woman was found in a Letterkenny park by a family out walking on 9 June. 

A number of other letters and files were also found in separate incidents over a number of weeks.

The letters also included two lists of 33 patients which had been found by litter wardens in Letterkenny in both March and May.

The HSE has admitted that storage containers at St Conal’s medical facility close to Letterkenny University Hospital were broken into.

A lock on the container was smashed open and an undisclosed number of files taken.

The files at this particular centre relate to the records of deceased patients as well as secondary notes on patients.

A spokesperson confirmed that steel cages have now been fitted to locks around the cages on the medical records storage containers.

“A thorough investigation was carried out following the most recent incident and as a result steel door cages have been ordered for all doors for the ground floor of St Conal’s. All containers have been fitted with lock boxes to prevent a reoccurrence of the recent breach where the lock had been broken to gain access to one of the containers,” the spokesperson said in a statement.

“The loss of patient files were not as a result of negligence but as a result of theft so there will be no sanctions on staff,” the spokesperson added.

Among the other information found on the street in Letterkenny were letters relating to a woman from Inishowen who was having tests for cancer.

On another occasion, a member of staff left a medical file belonging to a patient in a “public premises”, according to the HSE.

The HSE admitted the lapse in security when questioned by Sinn Féin councillor Gerry McMonagle at the meeting of the Regional Health Forum West.

He asked how many locations were used to store sensitive patients files and what security measures were in place to safeguard the files.

In response, McMonagle was told that medical files are currently held in up to seven different facilities including the St Conal’s Building, a store in Glencar, Letterkenny University Hospital, Scally’s Outpatient Facility in Letterkenny, Harley’s Stores as well as five containers at St Conal’s.

A response from the HSE said: “All locations where charts are stored are locked when unoccupied.”

McMonagle said he was satisfied that the centres being used to store the medical files had had their security upgraded since the security breach.

“However, I would question the cost of having a number of storage facilities around Letterkenny as well as staff time being used to travel to them and access them,” he said.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 2:35 PM

    At least 2000 of the workers will be imported by Google.

    295
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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:39 PM

    @John Smith: Great….

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:39 PM

    @John Smith: Great….

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    Mute Dave Doyle
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    May 18th 2018, 2:40 PM

    @John Smith: Great….2000 brand new tax payers contributing to the economy so we can fund the layabouts who have never worked a day in their lives.

    474
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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 2:48 PM

    @John Smith:

    Great…..

    Professionals contributing to our growing economy.

    There are many John Smiths, not all of us are the same.

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    Mute Damon16
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    May 18th 2018, 3:08 PM

    @John Smith: These ‘imported workers’ will pay a lot in income tax (most at the higher rate), will use little in the way of social services and spend money in the local economy (food, bars, restaurants) – what’s to whinge about. Also, the reason Google recruits from abroad is because they can’t find the skills here.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:19 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    I welcome people from other places working in our country. It breathes fresh life into a society. It means we do not stagnate. That said, we need much better management of housing by government, it will lead to failure if it is not urgently addressed, it’s a huge problem.

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    Mute Dietrich Död
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    May 18th 2018, 3:56 PM

    @John Smith: I’ve no issue with Google bringing in workers from abroad, but where the hell are they going to live?

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:56 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    What has Google being there got to do with anything? Why can’t Google be there? What else would you have there? It’s already zoned for offices, do you have an ideological opposition to Google? What’s wrong with social housing being around it? Would be prefer people in social housing be segregated? Why is it unsustainable? Seems perfectly sustainable to me. What is not sustainable is not building more homes.

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    Mute Jonathan
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    May 18th 2018, 4:03 PM

    @John Smith: Great…where are they gona live

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    Mute psychiatrist
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    May 18th 2018, 4:32 PM

    @John Smith: My estimate is that at least 1500 of the anticipated 2500 jobs will be filled by graduates from Irish universities. Not claiming that they are all Irish, which is beyond the point anyway.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 4:47 PM

    @Sean O’Brien:

    There is a whole area around Poolbeg that is to be redeveloped for housing. In Helsinki social housing is mixed with prime real estate. There are no rough areas in Helsinki because of it. This idea that poor people should live in an area because rich people are paying more might make people feel that they are worth more because they pay more, but it does little for social cohesion. Housing is the problem of the government, Google having office space has zero to do with it. It’s a high tech area, it drives our economy now and into the future. We should welcome it rather than whine and moan.

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    Mute Fergus Flanagan
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    May 18th 2018, 6:00 PM

    @Sean O’Brien: Sounds like your beef is with City Planning and not Google. Although sounds like you just have an axe to grind with your ex employer.

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    Mute All Holey
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    May 18th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @Dave Doyle: Well said you sir!!

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    May 18th 2018, 7:04 PM

    @John Smith: yes, indeed but with a lot of unskilled workers “nothing wrong with that per-say” as a low paid worker they couldn’t afford to live or commute to Dublin.

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    Mute John Judd
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    May 19th 2018, 7:56 AM

    @John Smith: imported because we don’t have enough science, engineering and IT graduates that’s why !

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    Mute Randal McNally
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    May 18th 2018, 5:12 PM

    More of our countries assets sold for a song by Nama and started by Michael Noonan when in Minister., and yet they can’t (or Fine Gael Ethos Won’t) solve the housing crisis. Varadkar, Murphy etc. All style and no substance !

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    Mute Bilbo Baggins
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    May 18th 2018, 5:24 PM

    @Randal McNally: €170 million is a fair ‘song’

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    Mute Billy Heffernan
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    May 18th 2018, 6:52 PM

    @Bilbo Baggins: it doesnt actually say how much the site was sold for. It was up for 170 alri.

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    Mute Cos Sullivan
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    May 18th 2018, 7:56 PM

    @Randal McNally: …noonan should be in jail .

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    Mute bopter
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    May 18th 2018, 2:26 PM

    28,000 sqm for only 2,500 employees, i.e. 11 sqm or 120 square foot per person.

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    Mute Shane Corry
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    May 18th 2018, 3:28 PM

    @bopter: The big tech companies usually go for about 10-12 sqm per person rather than the traditional financial layout of 8-9 sqm per person because they tend to use 140-160cm wide desks vs 120-140cm and extra space is taken up by “amenities” not found in other workplaces. Gym, yoga room, games room, bigger canteen, more break-out spaces etc.

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    Mute John Smith
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    May 18th 2018, 3:57 PM

    @bopter:

    bopter is the best username I’ve ever heard, love it.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    May 18th 2018, 2:53 PM

    It’s gas really, google employees will be working for them , then handing back their wages to them for rent. A bit to clan like for me. On saying that hope it will bring in plenty of revenue!

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    Mute B9xiRspG
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    May 18th 2018, 3:22 PM

    @Colette Kearns: It’s optional if you want to live on site with Google but useful if you are new to the country.

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    Mute Shane Corry
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    May 18th 2018, 3:32 PM

    @Colette Kearns: It’s possible they will use them solely as short-term corporate apartments – for new staff from abroad to stay in while they find their own place & for staff that are staying over from a different country for a couple of months.

    Otherwise it’s likely to be fairly senior people only as these apartments in terms of size / location are the type to typically go for €3K-€4.5K per month.

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    Mute psychiatrist
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    May 18th 2018, 4:41 PM

    @Colette Kearns: What’s gas about this? Dublin City sells land to business and housing all over Dublin, and it’s Dublin and the Devs who made money out of nothing.

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    Mute Colette Kearns
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    May 19th 2018, 1:54 AM

    @B9xiRspG: ah Jim I’m just saying I would find it all a bit much, you’d end up living in each other’s ear! And what if you’re boss ends up being your next door neighbor? Just stuff like that.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    May 18th 2018, 6:46 PM

    Everything gets “snapped up” from Nama, the bargain bin of property sales.

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    Mute Cian O Donoghue
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    May 18th 2018, 6:59 PM

    @Ted Murray: not sure 170 mill is a bargain.

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    May 18th 2018, 7:42 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue: __ Any top-notch commercial firm would have at least doubled that :p

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    Mute Rory J Leonard
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    May 18th 2018, 7:48 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue:

    Google probably got a little discount off that list price, and if they place those 46 apartments on AirBnB after they get a lick of paint, the payback, like it’s search engine, will be speedy.

    Their visiting top brass will just have to pay market rents, otherwise our taxman will be in like flynn with a BIK!

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    May 18th 2018, 9:13 PM

    @Cian O Donoghue: Google are not know for overpaying be in income tax or anything else.?

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    Mute Charles Williams
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    May 18th 2018, 9:11 PM

    NAMA is a public entity tasked with getting the best price for private assets bailed out by the taxpayer, we need to know exactly how much Google paid and how much the taxpayer recovered from this deal.

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    Mute shits ville
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    May 19th 2018, 12:33 AM

    @Charles Williams: available to the public on the PRSA website – just like the residential property price register. Sale price should be available a month or so after the sale closes. No smoke & mirrors.

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    Mute The Viking
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    May 18th 2018, 4:22 PM

    You would think they would lease living quarters to staff. They’re gonna need it.

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    Mute AlchemyIrl
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    May 19th 2018, 8:15 AM

    We are still paying USC !

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    Mute Stevie Doran
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    May 19th 2018, 12:48 AM

    0.5% commission for sale on €170million? Drinks on the auctioneer!

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    Mute Bob Hoover
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    May 20th 2018, 8:52 AM

    Google will eventually buy out the whole of Barrow Street imo.

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    Mute Geralyn Early
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    May 19th 2018, 8:53 AM

    Where will this €170 million go? I us

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