Malcolm Byrne (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister of State for coming to the Chamber. I agree with many of the comments Senator Doherty made about how we live with Covid-19. The issues around well-being and loneliness need to be addressed, and not only for older people. There is a challenge for younger people as well in terms of how we ensure their well-being is protected.

I want to talk about when the vaccine is finally released. We have two clear communications messages and challenges. We need to stand up for science. We need to talk about the importance of how vaccines work. We need to explain how they work and the verification process that they have gone through to give people confidence. We need to explain that independent regulators will have assessed and ensured that these vaccines are in place. We need to take on the anti-vaxxers in society. I have no problem with freedom of expression that is based on medical evidence but when people make spurious social media claims and spread disinformation, that needs to be taken on. As a society, we need to stand up for science and research. Part of the information campaign has to be about that.

I have a second request. We are clear on the process of the roll-out of the vaccine, who gets it and in what order. We are talking about our front-line workers and those who are most vulnerable. That needs to be explained and communicated in language that is as clear and comprehensible as possible. It should not necessarily be all medical language and it should be done in multiple languages. English and Irish are not the first languages of many people in the State. In communicating the roll-out of the vaccine, that is especially important.

My next point follows from what Senator Doherty said. We have to look at having a real debate on the social impact of Covid-19. In that regard, I echo what the Leader said. We need to look at investment in sociological research in this area. We need to be able to provide funding through our higher education institutions to research institutes and other agencies to examine the impact this period has had on a variety of areas of Irish life. This could be done through the Health Research Board or other agencies. There will be knock-on consequences from this period we have gone through that we have not even thought about. In that regard, it is essential that we are prepared for this, that we learn from it and that we are able to help those who have suffered during this period, whether through loneliness, loss or whatever. Our higher education institutions have adapted well to cope with all these changes. They have invested in research in this area. Specific funding and support will be important to research the impact of Covid-19.

This period has been challenging and difficult for all of us. It is most important that we give people hope that we will come out of this. I put it to the Minster of State that in communicating the messages - I mentioned the message relating to vaccines and so on - we talk about the fact that, as a people, we have shown incredible resilience. We have shown that we can achieve a great deal together when we co-operate. It will be important that we use the meitheal or co-operation we have seen during this difficult period to address our other problems.

I wish the Minister of State well in the next period. I echo the comments made around communications being important. We need to address the importance of vaccines and investment in research in this area. More important, this is about building on the resilience that our people have shown in this period.