A WEST Cork councillor is calling on the Health Service Executive to boycott pharma products from Israeli companies.
Cllr Ann Bambury (SD) raised a motion at a meeting of the Regional Health Forum South West and said the health body should adopt an ethical procurement policy to public healthcare spending which reflects Ireland’s commitment to human rights, international law and humanitarian principles.
‘I specifically call on the HSE to boycott pharmaceuticals produced by any Israeli company, where viable alternatives exist,’ said Cllr Bambury.
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She stressed that any changes in procurement should prioritise ‘uninterrupted patient care, clinical efficacy and value for money’.
The HSE said that it needs to stick to complex EU and national legislation in its procurement process, ensuring it was ‘open, transparent, competitive and non-discriminatory’.
The health body said Israel was a signatory to the World Trade Organisation and Government Procurement Agreement, and had full rights of access to the EU public market no less favourable than any other signatory.
‘Any move to restrict that access or vary public procurement rules less favourable to any party would be in breach of such agreements to which Ireland is committed as an EU Member State,’ said a spokesperson.
Cllr Bambury cited serious concerns raised by international bodies, including the United Nations and the International Court of Justice, about the destruction of healthcare infrastructure in Gaza, attacks on hospitals and restrictions on medicines.
She said that she intended to write to both the Department of Health and Taoiseach Micheál Martin, urging the government to press for EU reforms to procurement rules.
‘The children and people of Gaza deserve our continued solidarity,’ said Cllr Bambury. ‘Ireland has always spoken strongly about human rights and international law, and our public spending should reflect those values.’
She urged members of the public to support ethical purchasing choices, saying there was a growing and moral responsibility to boycott goods and services connected to what she described as the ongoing illegal occupation of Palestinian territories.
