Mary Seery Kearney (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on the fine job he is doing and ask him to convey our thanks to all those involved. Approximately two weeks ago I met Fórsa and its representatives spoke about the various categories of employees involved behind the scenes. We are very quick to thank those on the front line but behind the scenes are the administrators and a heap of people who absolutely deserve our thanks. Just when they were on top of vaccines and Covid they got the cyberattack. Extraordinary hard work has gone into this area.

We are very clear and transparent in our messaging. I appreciate this but when we hear news of supply issues and a potential delay, it is also important in our messaging that we reassure people as to roughly when they will be vaccinated. The telephone calls I receive are from people whose anxiety is being heightened. Perhaps we underestimate the heightened level of anxiety everyone has been at over the past 12 to 18 months. Perhaps we need to acknowledge these feelings and the disappointment. This is not a criticism but an add-on that in our anxiety to be transparent sometimes we overlook this issue.

Others have mentioned this but I have promised that I will also raise the issue of people in their 60s awaiting their second dose of AstraZeneca. They have little cards telling them their next appointment will be in July. I appreciate they are considered fully vaccinated 28 days after the first dose of AstraZeneca for the purposes of visiting other houses but there is some question mark over the level of protection against the so-called Indian variant. For them there is a level of anxiety and frustration when they see that people in their 40s who perhaps do not have underlying conditions and in a lower-risk category are going to be fully vaccinated sooner. I would appreciate the Minister addressing this issue and ask for the ideas we have on it.