Rats, mice and ants in hospitals as HSE spends 800,000 getting rid of pests

Rats, mice, ants, feral cats, pigeons and flies were among the pests found in Irish hospitals during the past five years

Rats, mice, ants, feral cats, pigeons and flies were among the pests found in Irish hospitals during the past five years, as the Health Service Executive spent over 800,000 on pest-control services.

Figures released by the HSE reveal that a total of 812,904 has been paid to pest-control companies for work carried out at 30 public hospitals throughout the State since 2009.

Problems involving pests have included an infestation of ants in the maternity unit at University Hospital Galway last March, and sightings of mice in the emergency department at Portiuncula Hospital in Ballinasloe.

Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda was also forced to spend almost 20,000 on specialist netting to protect its staff from flocks of aggressive birds last year.

Pest activity reports and details of pest control visits by Rentokil, the pests control company, for the past three years were previously released under FOI.

The inspection reports revealed an extensive problem with flies in UHG, including at its kitchen and where food is stored, and a rat problem on the grounds at Merlin Park Hospital, Galway.

The hospital with the highest spend on pest-control services was Cork University Hospital, which spent 122,777 during the five-year period from 2009.

It was closely followed by University Hospital Limerick, which paid 121,847 to pest-control companies during that time.

The third-highest bill for pest control was that of University Hospital Galway, which spent a total of 69,349 on services that included the capture and destruction of feral cats on the hospital grounds in 2012.

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Rats, mice and ants in hospitals as HSE spends 800,000 getting rid of pests