Galway West TD Mairéad Farrell has welcomed news that people with underlying conditions will be moved up the priority list for a COVID-19 vaccine.
The Sinn Féin TD said that tens of thousands of people with serious underlying health conditions have been effectively unable to leave their homes for the last year because of the virus.
“This has been a deeply anxious period and people have been understandably highly concerned by the lack of priority given to them in the vaccine rollout so far,” said Deputy Farrell.
“I hope this development will give them some peace of mind.”
But the Galway West TD said that she remains deeply concerned by the fact that family carers are still not treated as a priority group, which she described as ‘unacceptable’.
“Many family carers have also been unable to leave their homes for almost a year as they try to protect their loved one from this disease,” said Deputy Farrell.
“They are feeling stressed, isolated and abandoned by this Government.
“We must ensure that family carers are also considered a priority group, so that they can protect themselves and their households.
“I will continue to press the government on this and ensure that family carers are not abandoned on this crucial issue.”
