Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I also join the House in expressing our sympathies to the families of the late Máire Mhac an tSaoi - b'fhile den scoth í a rinne an-chuid ar son ár dteanga dhúchais - Brendan Kennelly, Paddy Moloney and Tony MacMahon, artists and musicians who enriched our lives in a wonderful way.

I think the fundamental premise of the Deputy’s question is wrong. The driver of our responses over the last two years in terms of health, and public health in particular, has been the Covid virus itself and the various mutations. The Alpha mutation earlier this year had a devastating impact on us. Likewise, now, the Delta variant is even more transmissible than the Alpha variant, and it has had a very significant impact globally and in this country in terms of the incidence of cases in terms of hospitalisation, ICU admissions and mortality.

Thankfully, because of vaccination and a very effective, efficient and well-run vaccination programme, we have achieved up to 93% vaccination. The vaccines are very effective in preventing severe illness, hospitalisation and admission to ICU, and in terms of mortality and preventing death. However, over time, in terms of protecting against infection itself, it is not as strong as it would be in terms of the cases I have just outlined. Therefore, there is a need for a booster campaign. That was the key recommendation from NIAC yesterday, which the Government will implement immediately. It will be the administration of the booster vaccine to the over-60s which will help us in holding back the impact of Covid.

In respect of hospital beds, close to 938 beds are due to be delivered by the end of this year. The Deputy has ignored completely in her presentation the fact that well over 900 beds have been budgeted for and have been provided for, with the follow-through provided for this year in terms of the staffing, for example. That was the largest bed increase ever in one year in terms of hospital capacity. Likewise, in terms of ICU, again, there has been a substantial 25% increase in ICU beds over the last two years. It is close to 300 now and it will get to 321 by the end of this year or, at the latest, very early next year. These are very substantial increases both in ICU and bed capacity.

The situation as advised to us by NPHET is that, in all age groups now, people are getting infected. While we are reopening, we are doing so in a very cautious way, with the vaccination certificate at the heart of the protective measures that need to be taken.

The Deputy opposed tooth and nail the vaccination certificate provisions that were introduced the previous time in this House to facilitate access to hospitality. She and her colleagues very strongly opposed that, yet it was the key to opening hospitality and it was advised by NPHET that this was what we should do. NPHET is now advising the same in respect of the remaining elements of hospitality. Conscious of the growth in incidence levels, it is very anxious that, where practical, appropriate and where it makes sense, a range of protective measures be introduced, the most critical being that the vaccination certificate be applied across the board, together with due diligence by operators and consumers. That is the key issue. We will be increasing staff in the health service by another 8,000 this year. There is going to be no let-up in the investment.

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