Results 33,261-33,280 of 49,836 for speaker:Stephen Donnelly

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I appreciate the Deputy is also looking for information on deliveries. It is something I will certainly take up. What is most important for the Irish people is knowing just how many are being taken. I take the Deputy's point and we have discussed it here previously. I apologise if I run out of time in answering the Deputy's questions, and if I do, I will revert to her. With regard to...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Right now, what we can say is we expect in excess of 1.1 million vaccines to be delivered.

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: May I add a quick caveat?

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I will revert to the Deputy.

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy. Certainly NIAC undertook a rigorous assessment but no one has a monopoly on wisdom on these issues. If the Deputy would like to send me the technical information he has, I will, of course, make sure it is reviewed by the public health team and NIAC. If there are omissions, we should not be afraid of them and we should correct them if it turns out to be the case.

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for his questions. I have set up a helpline, if we want to call it that, for Members of the Oireachtas and the Deputy should have those details. If there are individual issues on an ongoing or daily basis, I ask the Deputy to use this service. The feedback we have got on it is very good and we want it to be as transparent and open as possible. With regard to the NIAC...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy for that question. I have seen some of the same coverage and I was concerned at some of the things that I was hearing. I have chased much of it up with the HSE and much of what I heard turned out not to be the case. For example, not only can medical students be in our vaccination team, they already are. I met medical students in the Helix who were vaccinating. The...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I thank the Deputy and I will revert to him in writing because we will run out of time. I fully share his position on this because we must get the most vaccines possible. By working through the European Commission we have been able to pre-purchase 18.5 million vaccines, which is very positive. However, I am very frustrated with AstraZeneca and particularly frustrated with the fact that it...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: We want all of the deliveries from AstraZeneca as were originally committed. As we are all aware, there are very intensive discussions going on at an EU level with the European Council and the Commission. As of right now, AstraZeneca has not committed to the European Commission that it will fulfil its original obligations. Obviously, we are not happy with this and the Commission is not...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: To clarify, we will receive 1 million doses per month. Over the second quarter it would be approximately 3 million doses rather than 1 million, which is very positive. The answer to the Deputy's question is "Yes" and it is exactly the question I have been putting to the HSE repeatedly. We are expecting a very high volume of vaccines to come in in the next number of days. We are not...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: Are we out of time?

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I can revert to the Deputy on the other matters he raised.

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I am more than happy to get the Deputy a note on that. What I can tell him is that by the end of March, which is in the next five days, we expect to have received in excess of 1.1 million doses. However, I must heavily caveat that statement because the delivery schedules move regularly. The Deputy and I have had this conversation a few times. A large number of vaccines due to come in on...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As to the Deputy's first point, we do have detailed numbers for every single day for each company. I will ask for a note to be provided but I just wanted to caveat it by saying the provision of that kind of information has caused real anxiety for the public. We obviously know what is expected to the day but these dates get moved around at very short notice. With regard to the number of...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I acknowledge the Deputy's comments on this being the start of a period of hope. We all obviously have a job to do here. However, I think we would speak as one in looking to the coming quarter as one of hope as vaccines roll out, cases are reduced and as we can begin to have the conversation we all want to have about returning to normality. In terms of test and trace, travel and...

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: If everything comes in within the next five days as contracted, the shortfall would be fewer than 100,000 doses. Obviously, we want everything that has been committed to, as we have discussed on several occasions. AstraZeneca has not to date lived up on that. The shortfall will involve, rather than 1.2 million doses, 1.1 million doses or thereabouts. It is meaningful and it does matter....

Covid-19 Vaccination Programme (Health): Statements (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: I am sharing time with the Minister of State, Deputy Rabbitte. I welcome the opportunity to discuss with colleagues in Dáil Éireann this morning the progress of the vaccine programme. Covid-19 has presented Ireland and countries around the world with our biggest public health challenge in living memory. In recent months, more transmissible variants have driven up infections,...

Written Answers — Department of Health: HSE Properties (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: As the Health Service Executive is responsible for the management of the public healthcare property estate, I have asked the HSE to respond directly to you in relation to this matter.

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Car Parks (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The Programme for Government makes a commitment to introduce a cap on the maximum daily charge for patients and visitors at all public hospitals, where possible and to introduce flexible passes in all public hospitals for patients and their families. I am very aware of the financial burden this issue can cause some patients and families. Accordingly, my Department and the HSE are...

Written Answers — Department of Health: Hospital Waiting Lists (25 Mar 2021)

Stephen Donnelly: The information requested by the Deputy is being collated by Department officials and a deferred reply will be submitted within ten working days.