Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

Several months ago, I asked the Minister about the roll-out of the flu vaccine. I put it to him that 2 million doses had been supplied but the Government could only account for 1.4 million of them. I ask him to provide me with an answer in writing, stating whether that was right or wrong. I asked how we were going to be prepared to roll out the Covid vaccine, given the number of vaccines involved, when the HSE and the Department are totally unfit and not accountable to anybody, not even the Minister. When will carers, home helps and gardaí get the vaccines? They are front-line workers. They could not be more on the front line. I do not have a big issue if five or six leftover vaccines are administered to people. Surely it is better than wasting them. The vaccines should not be wasted.

Valerie is a middle-aged woman who had a serious accident when she was a young girl and got an award. An exceptional care team was put in place by her father and mother. Her care and support team comes into the house to care for her. The family lives in Carrick-on-Suir, quite close to where the Minister of State, Deputy Butler, lives. Valerie's carers are waiting to be given the vaccine but they are given a lower priority because they have been employed privately by her father on her behalf. They are frightened and worried. They have been watching RTÉ, the bad news channel. The RTÉ reporter who is a former Deputy found his vocation at long last and frightened the life out of everyone. He was here with us in the Parliament for a while. A fear factor is being instilled, while the roll-out is not fit for purpose. Those carers who are employed privately need the vaccine as much as anyone. Will they be given any idea when they will get it?

The Minister stated that there is a list, but that list is going backwards because of the lack of supply. In the United Kingdom, 12.8 million vaccines have been administered, but only 230,766 have been administered in Ireland. Maybe we should have left the EU as well and we would have got the vaccines. The EU is not looking after us. It never did. The Government is unable to get the vaccines. The Minister was asked by Deputy MacSharry to contact the CEO of the companies involved to see whether Ireland could get the vaccines by itself.

The roll-out is frighteningly slow and it is a damn fine mess. When the Government could not look after the roll-out of 2 million doses of the flu vaccine, I asked how they were going to roll out the Covid vaccine. The HSE is not fit for purpose. It has not been fit for purpose for decades. Its management was appointed by the Minister's great leader, the Taoiseach, who set up the HSE. It is not fit for purpose, full stop.

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