Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Because some of my time has already been eaten up, I will ask some questions and will appreciate if the Minister can get back to me in writing because he may not have time now.

The delivery of the vaccine to our citizens is of paramount importance in getting people back to work, allowing families and friends to meet up, enabling our children to get back to sports and to school, and basically in getting back to everything we took for granted before this pandemic reached our shores. Teething problems cannot be used as an excuse by this Government to explain away issues about the vaccination roll-out. They may have been an excuse or acceptable 12 months ago but not now when we have had more than a year to plan for these vaccine roll-outs.

The Minister mentioned, for example, that the HSE was in talks with the National Ambulance Service to see if something could be done in respect of vaccinating the over-85s who are confined to their own homes. Surely, these talks could have taken place months ago, and it is not as if the Minister has not had the time to do this. Did these talks include the ambulance service vaccinating other vulnerable groups in their own homes as we move forward? The next roll-out, for example, of 80 to 84-year-olds could be included.

As has already been stated, the vast majority of people are willing to take this vaccine when they know it works and is safe. Countless numbers of people's lives around the world have been saved by vaccines. Vaccination levels, however, have been dropping off over recent years. The Minister mentioned a public information roll-out. How will this be delivered to people who may not have access to broadband, to the Internet or to facilities through which they may be able to get that information? How will access to this information be rolled out to these people and to others who may be in vulnerable groups, such as Travellers, homeless people, and people who may have mental health or capacity issues? Those are some questions I would like answered.

Some issues have been brought to me locally. An elderly gentleman from Clondalkin was asked to go to the Helix on the other side of Dublin, which it would have taken him a couple of hours and two buses to get to, to get the vaccine. Another lady was told to go to her GP to receive the vaccine, and when she got there, the vaccine had not arrived. Another lady from Lucan, who works as a hospital cleaner, and her colleague, who is a security guard, have not received a vaccine despite working on the front line right throughout the pandemic. Will the Minister give me some reassurance on how these issues will be addressed? I will accept these answers in writing from the Minister.

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