Shingles Vaccination Programme: Motion Seanad Éireann — 2026-02-05 ============================================================ Nicole Ryan (SF), Administrative Panel I welcome the Minister of State to the House. Senator Conway not only spoke; he was really fantastic. We thank him for bringing this motion forward because Sinn Féin supports it. We know shingles is not a rare condition. It affects one in three people during their lifetime. For many adults, especially older adults with a weakened immune system, it is not a short-term illness. It has a lot of side-effects that continue as they age. Despite this, we have been told, as Senator Conway pointed out, that the cost of the vaccine is up to €500, which is quite expensive. For many older people who may be in receipt of the State pension or on a fixed income, it is simply not tenable to pay that. That is a real barrier to healthcare at an older age. It should not be that way. We have been told that HIQA concluded its report and that vaccinations for adults aged 50 and over would not be an efficient use of HSE resources. As clearly outlined in the motion, HIQA modelled a broader cohort than NIAC recommended. The Department cannot credibly claim that NIAC recommended a programme that is not cost-effective when it has never been individually modelled. We in Sinn Féin have called for action on this issue since last summer, alongside calls for progress on shingles, RSV and broader adult immunisation. We welcomed the introduction of the free chickenpox vaccination. We were clear then, and are clear again now, that the Minister must also act on shingles and RSV because prevention saves money. More importantly, it saves people's lives from pain, loss of independence and a declining quality of life. People have given so much. The did the right thing, paid their taxes and hoped to retire and have fulfilling lives. It is not fair, at that point in their lives, to then have to worry about choosing between a vaccine and developing shingles, which could potentially end their lives, among other things. We should make it as easy as possible for people as they go into the final stages of their lives and beyond. What the motion is calling for is not impossible. It calls for something reasonable, targeted and evidence-based. It is about fairness, listening to expert advice and ensuring that older people in our State are not left to suffer preventable pain simply because they cannot afford protection. We are glad to hear that the Government is supporting Senator Conway and his group. We are delighted that he brought this forward and thank him for giving us the opportunity to discuss the matter. Long may support last across the Houses for Opposition Bills and motions. --- Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted. Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-02-05/debate/main Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:35+00:00 Sitting date: 2026-02-05