Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I commend the Minister on the vaccine roll-out, especially for those aged over 70 and front-line workers in the healthcare sector. In recent days, however, several cases have arisen in my constituency of Clare concerning elderly people who are housebound. These are the very people who were born just after the previous pandemic hit our country. I am aware there are technical details to be accomplished and that these cases were referred by GPs to the NAS in early March to deliver the vaccine.

The first case concerns a 98-year old woman, Sarah Ryan, who is housebound and waiting for the NAS to deliver the vaccine, but she has heard nothing. Her family are worried, and they have spoken on national media about there having been little or no communication from anyone. Ms Ryan feels she is now divorced from her GP. The family feel they have just been left twisting in the wind and Ms Ryan feels she has been forgotten about.

The second case is that of a 99-year old man, Joe Kinneally, living in Kilshanny, County Clare, who hopes to celebrate his 100th birthday in July. He was referred by his GP to the NAS, as directed by the HSE, in early March. Mr. Kinneally's family have heard nothing since. They are becoming increasingly upset and are seeking clarity on whether he will receive his first vaccination, and hopefully his second as well, before his 100th birthday. They do not seem to be able to get answers from anyone. In fact, when watching the President celebrate his birthday last week on the "The Late Late Show", they mused which would come first for Mr. Kinneally: the President's cheque for his 100th birthday or his vaccine.

The third person is a 100-year old west Clare woman, Margaret Morgan, from Kilmurray McMahon, who is also waiting on the NAS to deliver the vaccine. Ms Morgan is hoping she will receive both doses of the vaccine to celebrate her 101st birthday on 1 June. She is hoping to celebrate this occasion with her family as she could not celebrate her 100th birthday because of the first lockdown.

Therefore, I am asking the Minister to investigate the progress the NAS is making with the 1,500 people referred to it by GPs. These people feel forgotten and lost in bureaucracy. My appeal is for him to direct the NAS to write by letter, and I emphasis write, to everyone on this list and confirm to each person that he or she is on the list and to also give those people an indication regarding when it is expected that it will be possible to deliver the first dose of the vaccine.

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