Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister to the House, and I have some serious questions to ask him. First, I pay tribute to people working in nursing homes where people are seriously ill, to the doctors, the nurses and the families who cannot visit their relatives and who are waiting, worried and extremely distressed. I welcome any initiatives the Minister can continue to undertake to supply services where they are requested by people working in nursing homes. Those people are doing a fantastic job, and they have unbelievable commitment.

In Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital, Drogheda, there is serious concern about not enough vaccine arriving. Half of those in the hospital were vaccinated but the other half were not. Yet, we read about events in the Coombe Hospital and in other hospitals where there seems to have been an abuse of the vaccination process.

It affects credibility in the context of what is happening. There is also a report that the level of vaccination at all hospitals in the south east was 100%. Why was that not the case in the north east? I appreciate that the Minister may not have the answer now, but I would like to hear his comments on that point.

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