Seán Canney (Galway East, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I was lucky enough to get a call to get my vaccination last Monday in the racecourse in Galway and I must say the operation that was being run there was absolutely phenomenal. There were no queues and everybody was vaccinated and out again within 30 minutes. I want to put on the record my appreciation for the work that is being done across the country in all of the vaccination centres. The buzz and confidence that people had going in was marvellous. The biggest joke we had was about our age. I met some of my classmates whom I had not seen in a long time.

We are moving on with the vaccination programme and a lot of people who use day services are now vaccinated. Organisations are now trying to get back to the provision of normal day services but transport will be a problem. There is still a requirement to maintain social distancing but the type of vehicles available to these organisations is a problem. Is there anything the Department of Health can do to make sure additional transport is put in place so that these services can continue? The Department must also work with those providers who were running day services in hotels, many of which are still closed. Will the Department and the HSE work with providers to make sure services are restored so people can meet again and have some sort of normality and socialisation in their lives after the long trawl they have had for last year and a half.

I also wish to raise the issue of primary medical certificates. The suspension of the scheme last June and its reintroduction in January was disastrous and with the perfect storm of Covid, there is very little happening in terms of assessments except by phone. Reviews are only carried out in Dublin except for once a year, when they are carried out in Cork. An appeals clinic was due to be held in Roscommon in October of last year but that was postponed. I was told the other day that it will probably be rearranged for 2022. Large numbers of people are waiting to get vehicles for people with disabilities. They have ordered vehicles but they cannot get an assessment or a review. This matter was raised by the Oireachtas Committee on Disability Matters with the Minister for Finance on a number of occasions. I implore the Minister to make sure that interim arrangements are put in place, such as providing temporary certificates to those who need them, until things are sorted out.

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