Mattie McGrath demands written answers on vaccine shambles
Mattie McGrath challenged the minister over the flu and COVID vaccination rollout, demanding written answers on shortfalls and prioritisation. He accused the rollout of being "an absolute shambles" and pressed why frontline Gaelishikana and family carers had not been vaccinated.
Written answers requested
He told the minister he had repeatedly asked for written answers about the flu vaccine rollout, including why only 1.4 million of 2 million available vaccines could be counted. He compared Irish vaccination figures to the UK, citing 20 million vaccinated in the UK and 600,000 in Northern Ireland, and asked "what are we doing wrong here?".
Concerns about priority groups
He asked why the Gaelishikana, described as "our front line", and carers were not being prioritised for vaccination. He said the GRA and family carers had been in contact with him and other politicians asking why they were not on the priority list and requested written clarification on prioritisation.
European Commission documents questioned
He referenced a European Commission minute from October 2018 and an update from March 2019 on the organisation and delivery of vaccination services to 28 countries. He also cited a feasibility study by the Commission on a common EU vaccine card or travel passport, saying those documents predated any virus in Ireland and demanding accountability.
Local example of delayed clinic doses
He gave a local example of a care clinic that was supposed to receive vaccines for 46 elderly people two weeks earlier; he said the clinic would instead receive 37 doses the coming Saturday and used the example to illustrate what he called a shambles in delivery.
Minister's rebuttal and time limits
The debate was cut short by time constraints and the chair’s interventions. The minister accused Deputy McGrath of making false statements and said written answers could not be provided to what were described as false statements around "flu jobs", while the session ran out of time.
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Minister, I want a demand of you, Chair, that we get answers to our questions in writing. I've never got any time I've asked you here, so I want them. I've asked you five times here about the roller of the vaccine for the flu, that only 1.4 million of the 2 million available could be counted for. I want an answer in writing. Minister, the UK have 20 million vaccinated, vaccines injected, and they have 600,000 in Northern Ireland. What are we doing wrong here? Minister, please answer me. Why are the Gaelishikana, our front line, and our carers, not vaccinated? Surely to God, we expect the Gaelishikana to deal with every situation, and the GRA have been on to me, they have been on to every politician in this House, I'm sure. Why aren't they a priority, and the family carers also? And I want written answers, please. I have another question here then, Minister. When you talk about October 2018, this is peculiar. The European Commission, they had a minute of a meeting, the organisation and delivery of vaccination services to 28 countries, and they did an update on that in March 2019, a year before there was any virus in Ireland or a pandemic. So what was going on? Just a great plan. I want you to answer that, Minister, please. And also, there was a feasibility stood by the European Commission of the development of a common EU vaccine card, stroke, travel passport. So it's a genie out of the bottle here. This was 2018 and 2019, and we have no accountability. You want to be the goodbyes in Europe, and I've asked you to go out and source vaccines like Deputy McSherry. No, it's an absolute shambles. The clinic in care was to get 46 elderly people two weeks ago last Wednesday. They're getting, sorry, 37. They're getting them this Saturday, we hope. It's been an absolute shambles. Thank you. Thank you very much. Just to Deputy McGrath's statements regarding the flu vaccine. No, no, no, I'm sorry. We can't have a debate. I'm sorry. I know, I know. The time is 40 seconds now, and we can't have a debate in the middle of it. There's no space for that. We're right up against the clock. I'm sorry. Minister, can you reply in writing to the Queenie's raise? No, no, sorry. Just a sorry, Deputy. Can you reply very quickly? 25 seconds left now. I'll do my best. 22 seconds. All right. Thank you. I was just making the point that Deputy McGrath has continued to make false statements, and he's seeking written answers to false statements around flu jobs, which obviously we can't give him. I'm sorry, Debbie. I'm sorry, Debbie. I'm sorry, Debbie. Thank you, Minister. That's all the time there is. I'm sorry. That's all the time there is. We're right up against the clock, and the source, and we can do nothing about that, and we can't have a debate here. here.
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