Results 13,461-13,480 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: That is something we can look at. The determinant is not only age. There is the underlying medical conditions group, which is quite a big group. That was the recommendation from National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, based on the principles it put together. Obviously many people are asking similar questions and want to understand why one group and not another is dealt with. It is...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes, I absolutely do. The new deal reflects exactly that. I want to reiterate that while I felt last year the deal did not work for anybody, there was no criticism of those involved for doing it, given the level of the crisis. I have said that many times previously. We did need to learn from that, however, and do it better. This deal works for patients first and foremost and for the...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I and the rest of the Government accept responsibility for the decisions we make. Every Government must accept responsibility for the decisions it makes. Was this predicted? Absolutely not. The worst-case scenario we saw was a R value of 1.8. Last week, the R rate was calculated at between 2.4 and 3. The Deputy is entirely wrong, however. When the Government decided to move from level...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: It is not a point of order. These are verifiable facts available to the Deputy and to everybody else.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Like the Deputy, I have been contacted by many GPs throughout the country very reasonably asking the same question as to when they will be vaccinated. Not only are they front-line workers, they will also be involved in the vaccination programme. There are 150,000 front-line healthcare workers in the second prioritisation cohort. They include GPs and many others who work in hospitals and...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: There is ongoing contact at the appropriate level, which is task force level, between the State and the pharmaceutical companies. However, let us be very clear. If Ireland went on its own and tried to secure volumes of vaccine, as a tiny country in a highly competitive global market right now, we would not do very well. What we are doing is working as part of the EU. The EU has supplied...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: A Leas-Cheann Comhairle, two seconds.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: No, sorry, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I am responding to this, with respect. It will be one sentence and I am responding. Deputy MacSharry-----

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Thank you, a Leas-Cheann Comhairle. I would note that when you were on the floor-----

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: -----you were given a lot more than 20 seconds.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Really.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I will revert to the Deputy with a note on exactly that. It is a very specific question around a very important capital build and capital refurbishment so I will revert to him with a note on it.

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for the questions. The most important thing for all of us to understand, and I have asked the question myself on the IT system, is that a very complex IT system has been put in place that did not exist previously. Due to a lack of investment in public health in the past we did not have an existing national vaccination IT system and that has now been put in place in record...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The roll-out to front-line health is an operational decision which has been given to each of the hospital groups. Therefore there may be GPs vaccinated in one county or city in the same way that residents in one nursing home might be vaccinated a week or two before another, or that nurses and doctors might be vaccinated in one hospital before another, or indeed colleagues in the same...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: On the issue of international travel into the country, Ireland signed up to the EU-wide approach, namely, the traffic light approach. In common with all the other member states, we implemented that approach. On airport testing, the consistent public health advice is that it is not the right way to proceed. It is not recommended by the WHO or the ECDC. The firm view of our public health...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Deputy has asked a very fair question. My own granny is about to turn 102 and has carers coming into her house. I want to know when she and her carers are going to be vaccinated. The key is to protect the vulnerable person in the home, more than the carers coming in and out. The key is to vaccinate people like my granny, quite frankly. The answer lies in the prioritisation. For...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I have written down three and will do my very best to answer them. In regard to the situation of people in receipt of carer services, I am not trying to obfuscate. I am trying to make the point that it is not a question with a "Yes" or "No" answer. NIAC has given a prioritisation process and some people in receipt of carer services will be higher up or lower down that list. Being over the...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Yes. Is that not the question the Deputy was asking?

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: In terms of rapid antigen testing, I fully agree with the Deputy. I want to see more of it. It is already being deployed, including in Letterkenny and in healthcare settings. We are working on other places where it can be deployed. I note, for example, the very wide use of it in the UK and we are exploring how it can be deployed here. I agree wholeheartedly that it is not in a place...

Covid-19 (Health): Statements and Questions and Answers (13 Jan 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I do not know where the flu virus is. I do know that it is not here, which is fantastic, and that the position is the same in other European countries. I am not really qualified to answer the causality on this but my best guess would be a combination of, as the Deputy said, the use of masks, basic infection prevention and control and the biggest flu vaccination programme we have ever had....