Catherine Connolly (Galway West, Independent) | Oireachtas source

That was not my question. I had moved on from that. This is about an issue which arose, and that has been in the news on RTÉ and in various newspapers, about two healthcare workers being sent back to direct provision centres, as it happens, because temporary accommodation was not available. I have gone to the trouble of tabling questions on this issue and I am told that the temporary accommodation scheme is up and running. Yet, it is being interpreted that temporary accommodation will only be provided to workers in the case of a cluster or an outbreak. I will leave that issue with the Minister.

Turning to some general comments on vaccination, I think the comments by the Tánaiste that people would go to the bottom of the list were appalling and unacceptable. It is an insidious interference with the doctor-patient relationship and the manner in which the programme for those aged 60 to 69 has been rolled out. They must go onto a portal, regardless of their medical history. I cannot tell the Minister how many calls I have received from people with different medical backgrounds, cancer being one of them, and who have had previous clots. Those people were told to go on a portal, take what they got or go back to the bottom of the list. The Minister did not say that, but that is the message coming from the Government. It is totally shocking and unacceptable. I would appreciate if he could take that message back.

I refer to a compensation scheme. A report prepared by Mr. Justice Charles Meenan was published in December of last year concerning alternative mechanisms for medical negligence. Part of that related to vaccinations. What progress, if any, has been made in that regard? What discussion, if any, has there been concerning these vaccines, which are very much in a trial mode given the pandemic? What is going to happen in respect of a no-fault liability scheme? What estimate has been made of the indemnity given to I do not know how many pharmaceutical companies at this stage regarding liability for the State in that regard? Only a few seconds remain, so I am simply raising this issue once again on the floor of the Dáil in the hope that in due course it will come up for discussion here or perhaps the Minister will be able to enlighten me in a reply on the issues of the indemnity, the actions taken following the published report and the implications for the current round of vaccinations.

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