The Labour leader says the cyber-attack on the Health Service Executive’s IT system doesn’t come as a major surprise.
Tipperary TD Alan Kelly says he highlighted issues with security in the system back in 2019 with very little appearing to have been done to tackle the issue since.
“I mean the IT system for the HSE in some places are archaic. Ironically enough some systems will not be effected by this attack because they’re so archaic they’re not networked. That’s a good thing even though for the wrong reasons.”
“We’ll have to see how this pans out – I expect this is going to go on for a period of time. I wonder how it’s going to impact on services.”
“But it does run back to reports that were done in 2019 and 2020 about the lack of preparedness for security attacks, for cyber attacks.”
Meanwhile all routine outpatients, elective theatre and scopes at Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel have been cancelled for next Monday due to the cyber attack on the HSE’s IT system.
The situation remains under review.
Long delays are expected for patients attending services across the UL Hospitals Group today as a result of a serious ransomware attack on HSE IT systems.
Emergency services at Nenagh and the groups five other hospitals across the hospitals continue to operate.
Patients with an outpatient appointment or a scheduled procedure are advised to attend unless they are directly contacted by the hospital and advised otherwise.
The HSE nationally has taken the precaution of shutting down all of its IT systems in order to protect them from this attack and to allow them fully assess the situation with their security partners.
The South/South West Hospital Group and Tipperary University Hospital in Clonmel are conducting a risk assessment of the situation.
Some appointments have been cancelled – those patients are being contacted and advised of the situation.
Elective surgical procedures at the Clonmel hospital are not impacted.
