David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister's response does not answer the question at all. The question I posed concerned whether these people are going to be considered as a distinct cohort in their own right. I think they should be. The Minister has obviously looked for a clinical assessment. I do not know what that assessment has been. While it does have to be underpinned medically, these are people who we all recognise are doing a lot of work. The people they are caring for need to be vaccinated of course, but those people also cannot be cared for if the carers themselves get sick with Covid-19. That is the point. The other point is that we draw, or at least the Minister and Government for whatever reason draw, a distinction that sees carers working for the HSE and private providers being treated differently to family carers. I do not accept that is the right course of action.

I have another question that has come up a great deal. I refer to people with medical conditions who need treatment and in many cases that is life-saving treatment. Those people's consultants and health specialists are telling them that they cannot or will not proceed with the treatment because of the risk of contracting Covid-19. One individual with whom I am dealing has multiple cancerous lumps, and he needs a mix of chemotherapy and radiotherapy. I have received many more representations, as I am sure has the Minister and other Deputies.

I spoke to Dr. Colm Henry of the HSE directly about this issue. He said he had made a recommendation to the national immunisation advisory committee. There are also patients who need kidney dialysis and that issue is also coming up regularly. These are people who need live-saving treatments, interventions and supports, and yet their clinicians are telling them that they are fearful about going ahead with such treatments if those patients are not vaccinated. Can the Minister confirm whether this issue has been resolved? It would be absolutely unacceptable if people were not able to get life-saving treatments and needed interventions because they cannot be vaccinated.

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