The government has been accused of “dropping the ball” on the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccines here.
Sinn Fein’s Pearse Doherty said GPs are expressing concerns and have said communication has been “shambolic.”
His comments come after the HSE missed their 100,000 vaccine target last week.
They have said the target was not met due to a delay of 25,000 vaccine doses from AstraZeneca.
Mr Doherty said: “The government is dropping the ball on the vaccine roll out and letting people down.
“It is increasingly clear that problems relating to the vaccine roll out go well beyond the issue of slow supply.
“Last week the Minister for Health wrote to all TDs in this House to say that the HSE had confirmed to him that they were on target to administer a dose to all of those aged over 85 by the end of the week and he has since rowed back on that.
“GPs have contacted us to express serious concerns..they have been telling us that they haven’t been appointed with a single point of contact in relation to coordinate the roll out.
“They’re telling us that the communication is shambolic when notice is given to when the vaccine will be made available to their practice and their patients.”
Mr Doherty said other GP practices claim they have been promised vaccines on certain dates but they didn’t arrive.
He said this has left GPs making “hundreds of calls” cancelling appointments with vulnerable, elderly people.
He said it is “not acceptable” and asked Tanaiste Leo Varadkar in the Dáil “what is happening here?”
In response, Tanáiste Leo Varadkar acknowledged there have been some issues and delays due to the AstraZeneca delivery which were to be used to vaccinate healthcare workers.
The delivery is now set to arrive at the end of the month.
But he said there is a need to have patience and said there should be support for the HSE.
He said: “We’re told it will arrive before the end of the month to allow us to catch up so there will be weeks where we fall behind target and weeks where we go ahead of target.
“But there are reasons for optimism and for comfort.
“By this weekend 500,000 will have been given [a vaccine] in the State.
“We’ll be close to completion of nursing home staff and residents and frontline healthcare workers.
“We’ll be there or thereabouts with the over 85s and this week already we’ve moved on to the people in the 80-84 age group which I think is very encouraging, that’s happening in some parts of the country.”
