The HSE was aware of a number of red flags concerning a deal with an Irish media company to import ventilators from China, but proceeded with the contract as “clinical need outweighs the identified risks”. A briefing document on the deal prepared by the executive’s head of procurement Sean Bresnan in late March directed that a deal for 1,000 ventilators be concluded with Roqu Media International, a festival management company with no Irish trading history. Some €14.1m was paid to Roqu for the contract, which saw a limited number of ventilators delivered to Ireland by end April 2020. One red flag noted that the test ventilators had no ‘CE’ mark — an indicator that a product meets EU safety, health, or environmental requirements — despite being accompanied by EU certification. No trading historyAt the time of the contract, Roqu Media International Limited had current assets of just €122 and no trading history, per its 2018 accounts.

Source: Irish Examiner January 16, 2021 06:30 UTC