Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I welcome today's upbeat assessment. I certainly hope the Minister's expectations are delivered because there is a palpable change of mood in the country. That burst of hope that came with the news that vaccine roll-out was under way has evaporated. Despair, doubt and frustration have replaced it. With every passing day, patience and tolerance are fading. There have been problems, excuse after excuse and fingers pointing in all directions. As people hear about confusion and distrust, they become more swamped by despair. Their frustration grows. The public are very conscious that mass vaccination is the only route to personal freedom. The roll-out is sluggish and unreliable and what irritates people is the self-congratulatory comments of how well we are doing. The fact is that only 9% of our population have received the first vaccine and a mere 3% have received the second.

What criteria are used to determine priority? Seriously exposed and vulnerable citizens cannot comprehend why they are not prioritised. There is no logic or rationale as to why some groups are vaccinated and others are left behind. The HSE needs to be fair and just in its category calculations. How can it be fair to leave behind those who have undergone life-threatening bone marrow transplants? How can it be fair to leave behind people with cystic fibrosis, CF? How can it be fair to leave those afflicted with cancer wait? How can it be fair to leave those with advanced heart disease wait? I ask the Minister when this category of people expect to be vaccinated. Why has the Government resisted the use of rapid antigen testing for so long? Eight months have passed since I raised the need for such testing. It has been successfully deployed in the private sector. Why are we not using it in the public sector? Finally, can the Minister give a commitment today that, as previously stated, 250,000 people will be vaccinated per week starting next week?

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