Pat Casey (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I also welcome the Minister of State back to the House and thank her for her commitment to it. She has always made herself available to answer our queries and I know of her personal commitment to the role she has taken on as Minister of State.

My question is for the Minister for Health, Deputy Stephen Donnelly, and it is to ensure dialysis patients are given the same priority in the allocation of Covid-19 vaccine as nursing home residents and staff, given their similar mortality levels. Everyone in this House is conflicted because different cohorts are making representations to us that they should be ahead of others. Even in my small village of Laragh, we have different cohorts of people. I am reminded of an email I received from a very close friend last week putting the case for her brother, who has a neurological condition and is living in a residential care unit with three other clients and who has not seen his 82-year-old mother for nearly a year.

In addition, two very good friends in the same village are now on dialysis, one for three years and the other for two years. I had the pleasure of playing football with Thomas and Michael for nearly 15 years.We have mixed emotions when trying to make these decisions. The decision has to be based on facts and evidence. That is the priority when the decisions have to be made. I am aware the issue of people who are going through dialysis or have been recipients of a kidney transplant was raised on a number of occasions yesterday in the Dáil. There is international evidence that backs up their case that they should be moved up to the same level as nursing homes. There is evidence that there is a 25% mortality rate among renal patients who become infected with Covid-19. I am not just saying this; it is backed up by science.

In the Dáil debate yesterday, the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, referred to a review of all people with disabilities and how we will administer the vaccine, and not just the cohort I am talking about but other cohorts. However, I am focusing on this today and there is evidence to prove the mortality rates. The second issue is the inconsistencies within the age groups. One is at seven if over 65 and 15 if under 65.

I ask the Minister of State for a reply on the review process. Does she know how the Minister for Health, Deputy Donnelly, intends carrying it out? When will the review process be finished and published? Can the Minister of State see any way of getting this cohort of people up to the same level as nursing home residents?