Jab-boast TDs slapped down by HSE chief
POLITICIANS have been told that they have no say in who gets the Covid-19 vaccine after a string of Fianna Fáil TDs claimed to have influence on the distribution of jabs.
HSE chief executive Paul Reid and Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly both strongly ruled out any political interference in the vaccine roll-out.
Speaking in the Dáil yesterday Mr Donnelly said that ‘there is no political involvement in how this is allocated’.
In response to his party colleague, Fianna Fáil TD for Clare, Cathal Crowe, he said: ‘There is no political involvement in this, these are operational decisions.’
Mr Crowe had told the minister he is ‘unapologetic’ about trying to bump his constituents up the vaccine queue.
‘There were write-ups in the paper last week about deputies fighting for constituents. I will be unapologetic in this Chamber in ensuring those who are on the frontline in my constituency will get their vaccine, that all-important gold-dust jab into their arm, to protect them from Covid-19,’ he said. Mr Crowe added that he had constituents with health issues such a cystic fibrosis, and asked Mr Donnelly to escalate them up the prioritisation ladder.
‘I hope that can be looked at in terms of bumping them up a bit,’ Mr Crowe said.
And HSE boss Mr Reid confirmed yesterday that members of his team have been lobbied by politicians and unions but its plan on vaccine distribution will not change.
‘We’ve had a lot of requests, whether it’s through representatives from political ministers or whatever, and equally concerned trade unions and bodies, so I don’t take any great offence, but we will stick with the plan that we have, the sequencing that we have and the prioritisation that we have based on the volumes that we get,’ Mr Reid said.
On Monday the Irish Daily Mail reported that two Fianna Fáil TDs, including a Cabinet minister, boasted of having influence over who gets the vaccine. Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien and backbench TD Jackie
Cahill blatantly bragged about their impact on securing scarce supplies.
Asked if it was appropriate for politicians to interfere in the roll-out, Deputy Cahill said: ‘That’s the name of politics, the squeaky hinge gets the most oil.’
Minister O’Brien was defiant, declaring: ‘I personally contacted the HSE, the Department of Health and Minister for Health to ensure remaining vaccinations for Dublin Fire Brigade are undertaken.’
He added: ‘I’m informed that this will happen next [this] week.’
Mr O’Brien has been left red-faced over the rebuke from the HSE chief
‘It hasn’t changed our plan at all’
and Mr Donnelly. Furthermore, his claims of ensuring vaccines for DFB will take place this week have also not materialised and will not take place until after the next shipment of vaccines arrives on February 5 at the earliest.
Mr O’Brien contacted Mr Reid directly to seek to expediate vaccines for DFB.
Asked if the lobbying from Mr O’Brien had any impact, Mr Reid said: ‘It hasn’t changed our plan at all [being lobbied by a Cabinet minister] our plan is going to be guided by volumes, sequencing and prioritisation.’