Danny Healy-Rae presses for home vaccine rollout in Kerry
Deputy Danny Healy-Rae asked when vaccines will be delivered to homebound and vulnerable people in Kerry and sought clarity on pay for returning vaccinators. He pressed the minister for timelines for home visits and called for clear remuneration to secure the vaccine rollout.
Questions on home vaccinations
He cited a man in his late 70s in East Kerry who has had a leg amputated, a stroke and several other health complications, with carers visiting daily, and asked when home visits and vaccine delivery will occur for people living at home in Kerry.
Concerns about vaccinator pay and recruitment
He raised concerns that nurses and others returning to administer the vaccine cannot get clarity on how much they will be paid and said they need to be paid properly. He warned that without clear information on remuneration and recruitment the vaccine rollout could be in trouble.
Minister's response on priority and logistics
The minister replied that vaccinating those who are homebound is an absolute priority. The National Ambulance Service is working through the cohort, GPs are identifying patients who cannot attend clinics or vaccination centres, and the National Ambulance Service will visit their homes; the minister said he would provide a note on timing. He acknowledged the hiring process had been burdensome, said the HSC has moved to streamline it, and invited contact about specific issues.
Follow-up on frontline promises
He also asked the minister to follow up on promises made to teachers and frontline workers, including guards, that they would receive vaccination to help keep schools open and ensure guards remain on the road.
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Thank you very much. First of all, I have two questions, and if I have a minute left, I have a small thing after that. Minister, what I'm asking is, when is the rollout of the vaccines to people at home, elderly, vulnerable, people living at home, like a man in his late 70s in East Kerry who's had a leg amputated, who's had a stroke, who's had several other complications and problems health-wise in his life. Carers are in and out of his home on a daily basis to try to keep him alive and to keep him at home. He needs the vaccine. When will the people in Kerry get home visits and the vaccines delivered to those people at home? The second question is, nurses and other people are coming back to administrate the vaccine, and they can't get clarity as to how much they will be paid, and we need to pay them properly and see after them. They need clarity as to what they will get, or otherwise we'll be in trouble rolling out the vaccine. They're my first two questions. Thank you very much, Chair. So, Deputy, with regard to those who are homebound, it is an absolute priority. We're very acutely aware of exactly the cases you're talking about. In a lot of cases, people who are very vulnerable, people who haven't left their home in a year. The National Ambulance Service is working very, very hard. They're moving through this cohort. The GPs are identifying their patients who weren't able to make it down to either the GP clinic or the vaccination centre, and the National Ambulance Service is going to their houses. I'll get you a note on the timing, but that is the process. And, Deputy, with regards to people being trained as vaccinators, if there are issues with regards to people not being able to get the information, just let me know. I'll act on that straight away. It is certainly the case that the hiring process appears to have been more burdensome. Initially, the HSC has moved to streamline it as much as possible. But if there are specific issues, just contact me directly. Thank you. You can ask the question, but the answer may come at the very end. He made a promise to the teachers and the front line people, the guards and those, that they would get the vaccination to keep schools open, to keep the guards on the road. Can he follow up on that and ensure that he adhere to the promises that he made?
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