Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I raise the vaccine roll-out in County Meath. Everyone wants the roll-out to be a success and I welcome the comments commending those involved in the roll-out. I of course encourage people to take their appointment when they get it. However, in County Meath there is an acknowledged capacity issue at the testing centre in Simonstown. This is in part because County Meath has suffered from years of under-resourcing in public health and primary care, which I know from my time working in the health service and from the regional health forum. Vaccination of the 60-to-69-year-old cohort is not yet finished in the county and in its roll-out there were discrepancies in respect of age and geography; a type of postcode lottery for want of a better phrase. Unfortunately, people voted with their feet in some cases and went directly on spec to the Helix. Now for the 50-to-59-year-old age cohort, people on the County Dublin border, in Ashbourne, Ratoath, Dunshaughlin and Dunboyne are receiving appointments not at the Helix, nor Citywest or Simonstown, but in Mullingar. I fear what this will mean for uptake and confidence in the roll-out. All the staff are doing their very best but there is an acknowledged capacity issue. I heard my colleague, Deputy Paul Donnelly, raise the same issue yesterday in respect of the neighbouring area of Dublin 15. These capacity constraints are acknowledged by the HSE. Is the Minister aware of them? Bearing in mind we are not yet into the younger, larger age cohorts in County Meath, can he confirm whether there are plans for a second vaccination centre in the county? He mentioned UCD but nowhere in County Meath. Fairyhouse, for example, might be a good location. If there are such plans, when will that vaccination centre open?

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