Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As we wrap up, I will speak on two different issues. One concerns the housebound individuals to whom Deputy Connolly referred. I will provide an update on how the roll-out is working for that cohort.

GP practices receive guidance from the HSE home vaccination programme for the over 70s who are housebound. They have the responsibility of referring eligible patients who require this service. We assumed that there would be approximately 1,500 people in this group, but 2,000 people aged over 70 have been referred for home vaccination.

The housebound vaccination programme started on 12 March, so it is now in its second week. By the end of this week, 740 people will have been vaccinated. Dose one of the vaccine has been administered to patients in Dublin city and county, the north-east and the midlands. Vaccination commenced in the south-east this week. In the next two weeks, the programme will expand to the west and south. All first doses are expected to be administered throughout the country in early April.

I will specify how the roll-out was determined. The roll-out of the programme is a significant logistical challenge. A decision was made that the national ambulance service would roll out the vaccines. There are dedicated regional teams in each area that are rolling out the vaccine. I wish to thank the service. This is a slower process than when a patient attends a clinic or a mass vaccination centre, because these people are very vulnerable and they are housebound. I have said it many times previously, but I want to emphasise that nobody will be left behind. We are getting through the first doses. To reiterate, 740 out of 2,000 people eligible will be vaccinated by the end of the week.

I want to move on to nursing homes. The prioritisation of those in nursing homes and long-term residential care facilities has proven to be the right approach, as those most at risk of a bad outcome or serious illness or death from Covid. I acknowledge Members have questioned how prioritisation is determined, but along with my colleagues, I fervently believe that prioritisation for those most at risk of Covid has to be based on clear medical and clinical guidelines. It can never be determined by politicians. As a result of a very successful roll-out of the vaccine in nursing homes, 99% of residents and more than 90% of staff have been vaccinated.

As a result, visitations resumed last Monday, 22 March, for people living in nursing homes, which was really welcome. Residents may now be facilitated to receive two visits per week on general compassionate grounds, commencing two weeks after their full vaccination. That is the norm in nursing homes. There is no requirement to limit visits to less than one hour. I want to state that categorically. The new provision is an increase from the current guidelines, under which one visit per resident was facilitated every two weeks.

In addition, it is not required that the same family members are listed to visit. For example, in the case of a family of six siblings and where the mum or dad is in a nursing home, it does not have to be the same two siblings who visit every week. The visitors can rotate. I am aware that some nursing homes are taking a cautious approach and saying that it must be the same two dedicated family members, but that is not the requirement. There is no obligation that it must be the same two family members making the weekly visits. I am asking all nursing homes to support and implement these new visitation guidelines, which are in line with existing public health guidance and advice. Vigilance in regard to general infection prevention measures must be maintained. The guidance will be kept under continuing review as new evidence and data emerge.

We have taken a cautious approach regarding nursing homes. The pandemic bore down really hard on them. A total of 88% of those who lost their lives from Covid were aged over 70 and more than half of all who died were in the nursing home sector. We must continue to take a cautious approach. As of today, there are 68 open outbreaks of Covid in nursing homes but they are not of the scale as was the case previously. A lot of the cases are now asymptomatic. I will end on a good note by pointing to how successful the vaccination programme in nursing homes and long-term residential care facilities has been. Last week, in round 9 of serial testing, of the 40,423 people who were tested, only 81 cases of Covid were detected, which is 0.2% of the total. That is really positive news for all those who have worked so hard in the sector for the past 12 months. I compliment everyone involved. There have been very difficult, traumatic and lonely days and it has been really tough on residents, families and staff. When we see how successful the vaccination programme has been in nursing homes, it shows there is light at the end of the tunnel.

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