Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I would like to thank Leas-Cheann Comhairle for the opportunity to update the House on the Government's response to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. The focus of my statement is on socially excluded groups and, specifically, how the Government and the HSE have sought to protect them from the threat posed by Covid-19 and our plans for administering the Covid-19 vaccine to these groups.

Not everyone faces the same risk from Covid-19. From the outset of the pandemic, NPHET and the Department of Health identified socially excluded groups living in congregated settings as having a heightened risk due to underlying health and social factors. A range of protective and mitigating public health measures are in place to minimise the impact of Covid-19 on these groups.

I want to acknowledge the collective efforts of public health officials, the HSE social inclusion services, Departments and agencies, the many voluntary service providers and representative groups, in minimising the impact of Covid-19 on socially excluded groups.

A key part of the Government response is to monitor outbreaks of Covid-19 in congregated settings through the weekly updates from the health protection surveillance centre. Since the start of the third wave of Covid-19, there have been 431 outbreaks in congregated settings, with 4,587 associated cases. In the last five weeks, the number of outbreaks was 82, with 387 associated cases. The recent trend is downward, with the average number of outbreaks falling to 16 per week and the number of associated cases reducing to 77 per week.

It is concerning, however, that the incidence of Covid-19 remains high among the Traveller community. Outbreaks in this community account for 62% of all outbreaks and 80% of all associated cases.

The high rate of Covid-19 among the Traveller community highlights the poor conditions in which Travellers live, the social determinants of health, and the behavioural issues associated with family events.

The long-term strategy for protecting socially excluded groups is through vaccination and better access to health services. At the end of March, the Government approved an update to the Covid-19 vaccination allocation strategy, informed by advice from NIAC. This strategy sets out the population prioritisation to best achieve the vaccination programme's objectives of preventing serious illness and death. The updated strategy prioritises members of the Traveller and Roma communities and people who are homeless as specific groups at significantly increased risk of hospitalisation or death compared with the general population. These groups will be vaccinated in parallel with the age-based approach for the general population. The strategy also recommends that a single-dose vaccine, namely, Janssen, may be preferable for these groups, who may find it difficult to return for a second vaccine dose.

The HSE has established a national operational working group to develop and implement a vaccination pathway for the prioritised groups using bespoke and targeted vaccination clinics. This pathway will ensure accessibility, suitability, optimal engagement and participation for the administration of Covid-19 vaccines to the target population. I am happy to inform the House that the first phase of the vaccination programme for prioritised groups commenced yesterday for the medically vulnerable people living in homeless services in Dublin. This group includes persons with specific underlying health conditions that mean they would be at significant risk of severe disease or death should they be infected with Covid-19. Over the next two weeks, 700 medically vulnerable people in homeless services will receive the single-shot Janssen vaccine, with approximately 350 due to receive the vaccine this week alone.

Earlier this morning, I had the opportunity to visit the temporary vaccination clinic set up by the HSE in Dublin city centre to deliver the programme, where I met both the staff and clients attending the centre. This dedicated clinic is a landmark event in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. The vaccination of medically vulnerable people in homeless services demonstrates the value the Government places on equality and inclusion in the public health service. I pay tribute to the front-line healthcare workers who have protected medically vulnerable people in homeless services during the Covid-19 crisis. Through the Dublin Covid-19 homeless response team, the HSE, the Dublin Region Homeless Executive, DRHE, and voluntary service providers have greatly minimised the potentially devastating impact of Covid-19 on this group. They are now seeing the reward for their efforts with the vaccination of their clients. I thank the staff administering the vaccine and the Salvation Army for hosting the clinic. I congratulate the individuals attending the clinic, who have had to endure personal sacrifices to remain safe during the Covid-19 pandemic. Today, they are being liberated to return to social activities. Their return to society will be a positive one due to the health supports they have received during the Covid-19 crisis.

A side benefit of the pandemic is that we found new ways to provide health services for people who are homeless. We are reinforcing those new ways through an additional investment of €11 million in health services for people who are homeless during the Covid-19 pandemic under the HSE's national service plan for 2021. The vaccination programme for people who are medically vulnerable in homeless services is being delivered in bespoke ways. It is using the one-shot Janssen vaccine, which is new to Ireland, and the HSE is providing transport to and from the vaccination clinic. There is an active communications plan to encourage and support people to take the vaccine.

The roll-out of the vaccination programme to all the prioritised groups will ultimately benefit more than 40,000 individuals. Its delivery takes into account the unique circumstances affecting these groups, including the difficulties they may have in accessing health services and their low levels of health literacy. Other at-risk groups, such as residents in direct provision and people attending drug treatment services, will benefit from this targeted approach in due course. Listening to, and engaging with, vulnerable groups is critical to building confidence in the Covid-19 vaccination programme. Continuing the collaborative approach between statutory and voluntary service providers is essential. To support this, the HSE has convened a series of webinars for service providers.

While the lifting of restrictions is to be welcomed, the reopening of society should not be taken as a signal the pandemic is over. We must all play our part in continuing to protect vulnerable groups, including those in congregated settings. The Covid-19 vaccination programme is well advanced, with more than 30% of the eligible population having received at least one dose. It is a key enabler of the reopening of society and the economy and protecting socially excluded groups at increased risk from Covid-19. I look forward to hearing the contributions of Deputies on these matters.

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