Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

My concern is the number of vaccinators we have. HSE services are already overwhelmed. Some 6,500 healthcare staff are out of work due to Covid. We simply cannot divert further front-line staff for the purpose of acting as vaccinators. We need to assemble a task force of vaccinators. We need to recruit outside the obvious circle and build a national team to dispense the vaccine. We need a battalion of vaccinators working around the clock. We need to utilise community centres in every town and parish as vaccination centres. If people are asked to turn up for appointments during the night, so be it. They should get the jab and get the job done. This has to be our mentality and approach.

At present we have 1,700 people administering the vaccine and they are doing an excellent job. To be effective and to expedite the roll-out, we will require 5,000 to 6,000. I welcome the engagement of GPs but we must realise that they are already overworked and snowed under. We therefore have to ask whether they have time to be central to the campaign. I welcome the agreement reached with the pharmacists. Has the Government considered using the resources of the Army, particularly its medical resources? Has it considered inviting all retired doctors and nurses to answer the call? Should we consider enlisting medical students or even using dental practices or skilled scientific laboratory technicians? We have to think outside of the box and to be creative. This is a once-in-a-lifetime emergency and our response has to be bold, brave and imaginative.

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