Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In contributing to the Covid debates, it often feels as though you are speaking while standing on shifting sands because Covid continues to bring about changing circumstances and to be inconsistent. The prime example of that is that only a few weeks ago we renewed the emergency powers legislation and the lead Opposition party said the restrictions were long past their sell-by date. Yet we are back at the stage where restrictions are being examined. I do not say that as any criticism of the Opposition because the Covid pandemic shifts and turns and variants emerge. This time last year we were facing into a Christmas with a new variant with Covid restrictions being discussed and proposed, and during the following weeks we saw that variant have a devastating impact on case numbers in this State.

In that context, we must be concerned about Omicron. We do not have all of the relevant data yet but it is important that the Government has taken the steps it has taken because we are better prepared now than most European countries for dealing with Omicron. Across Europe, countries are considering new restrictions. In the Netherlands, bars and restaurants now close at 5 p.m. and that will be extended into the holiday season. Austria and Germany have proposals under which unvaccinated people will not be able to use certain types of retail. The UK has gone from appearing to have a very laid-back approach to this pandemic to scaling up its warnings significantly.

I support the Government's approach to this. We were never about zero Covid or about letting it rip; we always sought to manage this and to strike a balance between risks and freedoms. In general we have gotten it right. Of course, we have gotten it wrong on occasions too but on balance, Ireland has managed this pandemic well. I do not say that in a self-serving way from this side of the House. I say it because objective observers have said it. We have one of the lowest mortality rates and one of the highest vaccination rates in the European Union. The Bloomberg index that balances restrictions, freedoms and Covid incidence rates continuously places Ireland in the top tier. While there are some things we could do differently, by and large Ireland has managed this pandemic well and many of the people I meet acknowledge that.

With Omicron on the horizon, the booster vaccine is incredibly important. We are still awaiting details on Omicron but what we know already is very worrying. Some of the data appear to suggest that previous infection offers little protection against reinfection. It would appear that vaccines like Sputnik and Sinopharm and even Astra Zeneca offer ineffective or even very poor resistance to Omicron. That means that many people awaiting a booster really want to avail of it. Of course, we had very limited use of Astra Zeneca on this island and the cohort that was targeted with it has now, by and large, received a booster dose. I would say to anybody who is due to receive a booster dose and has not yet availed of it, especially those who have taken one of the vaccines about which we have concerns, to go and get a booster dose. People who have been infected before may think they will not need a booster but the evidence would appear to suggest that they also need to get a booster shot. That means that the Government must do better than it has done to date with the 1.4 million boosters that have been administered already. It is only 20 days since Omicron was declared a variant of concern. The booster programme has given us a significant level of protection. On my way to the Chamber today I received a call informing me that my daughter's dental appointment in January has been cancelled because the dentists are going to be involved in the vaccination programme. When we get to the other side of January we will have come a long way. I believe that because I trust the HSE and its vaccination programme because it has the track record. While everybody is right to have concerns, we have had one of the best vaccination programmes in Europe and there is no reason to believe we will not have one of the best booster programmes too.

I ask the Minister to consider the evidence on Astra Zeneca as it emerges. I am deeply concerned because thousands of people in the North received Astra Zeneca as their primary vaccine and we do not know when they will receive their booster. We know that they have not had restrictions in the North for a significant amount of time and we also know that infections in one part of this island invariably lead to infections in other parts. I would say to people who are eligible, particularly if they have taken Astra Zeneca, to get their booster dose. The Government needs to have contingency plans in place if people in the North do not receive their boosters at the same speed as people in the South. We need to respond to the people in the North. They are as much a part of our island and our country as anybody else. If we get our booster programme done, we should step in and assist people in the North as well.

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