Alan Dillon (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome this week's news that the vaccination centre for Mayo, at Breaffy outside Castlebar, is now up and running. I wish the centre manager, Frances Power, and her team every success as they ramp up to more than 2,500 vaccinations per day. It is very welcome news.

The members of the Garda Síochána have served our communities with the utmost distinction during the pandemic. Their unwavering commitment to public service deserves our thanks and we recognise their work involves duties that entail a high level of risk. I feel there is a genuine need to prioritise An Garda Síochána in the vaccine allocation strategy. I also wish to include the Defence Forces, who have done tremendous work in contact tracing and logistics, and will also play their part in the mandatory quarantine programme. I also want to highlight teachers, who have facilitated the reopening of our education sector. Their work involves a high level of interaction with students and they also should be prioritised in the vaccine strategy. I also make special reference to special education teachers and special needs assistants. We need them to be protected to ensure the education sector is protected.

One final area I want to highlight is that of maternity services. We have seen there is a serious need to reconsider and, in particular, increase the time allocated for birth partners and fathers to spend together with mothers after labour. We must end the current situation where fathers are not permitted to enter for scans, leaving pregnant women potentially receiving tragic news alone. This is an important step forward as we see many front-line workers and health staff have now been vaccinated. It is an important issue that I ask the Minister to address.

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