Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I often invite Deputy Murnane O'Connor to Dún Laoghaire but I think this is the only place in Dublin and outside County Carlow she actually attends. I too join other Deputies in wishing the Ceann Comhairle and all the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas a very happy, peaceful and indeed healthy Christmas. It has been a very challenging year for the House and its Members. I thank all the staff for their patience and assistance during that time.

I also welcome the opportunity to discuss the Covid-19 situation. Who thought we would be discussing the pandemic at a second Christmas? We thought over the last couple of months that things were changing but we need only look at the epidemiological forecast. It looks extremely challenging, especially if we look across the water. It is likely we are facing a very significant wave of infection generated by the Omicron variant. Initial evidence suggests Omicron infections can be milder to vaccinated people but it seems to be significantly more transmissible. The situation in London is an indication of what we could be facing here. We are in a race against time to ensure as many people as possible are offered a third vaccination before Omicron becomes more established here. The national effort being deployed and the news today that additional resources are being deployed are exceptionally welcome. I also welcome the news that the HSE centres will have extended opening hours and that we are on track to administer at least 300,000 vaccinations in the next week. I pay tribute to all the front-line staff, pharmacists and GPs working on the national effort to administer as many third doses of the vaccine as possible.

I ask the Minister of State to raise the issue of people who received the one-shot Jansen vaccine. Many of them took it quite some time ago and evidence suggests immunity is waning. Many of them have contacted me and are asking that they be permitted to get vaccinated as soon as possible.

While there may be a very challenging few weeks ahead, we know there is cause for hope as the antiviral medications are coming on stream. Hopefully, those combined with the boosters will ease the incidence of very serious infection.

Just as I paid tribute to the front-line workers, it is also important to pay tribute to teachers and school staff because they have put in so much work to ensure students are safe and to reduce infection in those situations.

Last of all, I pay tribute to the Ceann Comhairle and his colleagues in the Houses of the Oireachtas. I thank him for his assistance during the year and wish him and his family a happy Christmas.

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