James Reilly (Dublin North, Fine Gael)

First, I reiterate that no link has been established as yet. It is interesting that some of the Nordic countries such as Finland and Sweden are concerned about large numbers of cases there, but other countries such as the UK and the US do not seem to have an issue. Like Deputy Ó Caoláin, I remain concerned about the matter. As a parent, I am concerned about the possible damage the vaccine could have caused, but I will not prejudge the situation until all the facts are before us.

In defence of my predecessor, I have to say that she acted in good faith. It was an emergency because the country's health was at risk. We can never know how many people would have died had there not been a vaccination programme. That is always the problem with these situations. We will do the most important thing, which is to support all our citizens who suffer from narcolepsy, including children in particular, and give them the medical and social supports they require. The broader issue of the causality can be pursued in a more orderly fashion. What is important is that people who have a problem have it addressed from both the medical and social perspectives.

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