4 Months into Vaccination Programme and Still the over 85s are not complete.
Questioning the Minister for Health in the Dáil today, Aontú Leader & Meath West TD Peadar Tóibín raised the serious deficiencies in the Vaccine roll-out, including the issue of Over 85 Vaccinations and Claims being brought against the State in relation to Covid-19.
An Teachta Tóibín:
“The Minister flew the kite on Vaccines for 30 year olds, which was a real shock to me particularly as I was just off the phone with a family in my own county of a 92 year old woman who is house bound had still not been vaccinated. This week I asked the Minister in a PQ, were all those over 85 year olds to wanted to be vaccinated, vaccinated. Practically 4 months after vaccines landing in the country the Minister could not say yes. In the Dáil today, the Minister admitted the cohort that’s most vulnerable and most exposed is not complete”.
“The Minister in a PQ have confirmed to me that a claim has been made against the States’ Claims Agency by the family of a loved one who contracted Covid-19 in a hospital setting and subsequently died. I have heard of many families who had a similar experience. I have no doubt that in most cases Hospitals did their best to keep out the illness and protect patients and staff. But many frontline workers were left abandoned by the Gov in terms of understaffing in Hospitals. Despite 74,000 people applying to the Be on Call for Ireland project seeking to assist front line staff. However I have also heard reports of negligence in certain locations and I raised such situations with the former Minister for Health Simon Harris and Paul Reid of the HSE. I raised two particular questions with the Minister, firstly have there been other similar cases that have been brought to your department, but are not yet at the courts? And then, secondly, given that the government has indemnified the Vaccine companies have citizens approached your department seeking compensation in relation to adverse reaction from vaccines? If so, how many? The Minister responded in the Dáil that he would revert back with an answer to my inquiries with a Note.”
