I want to address two aspects. The Minister of State will probably be aware that we have had consistently high trolley numbers in Limerick over the recent period. There is an historic issue. There was a consultant's report from Teamwork a number of years ago, which stated that we should get at least 138 additional beds. To date, we have got approximately 98 additional beds, including a 60-bed modular block. These are all single-person bedrooms, which makes them very important in the fight against the Covid virus. T…

I thank the Minister of State for her response. I seek clarification of a number of points. First, after the 96-bed block has gone to tender and the preferred bidder is in place, will the Government support its approval by the HSE board? We can get that block started in January and then built. It will be a significant build of 18 months of thereabouts. Second, will a plan be put in place now to determine how to reduce the number of people on trolleys? This month's average of 54 is too high. In that context, I ackno…

I will be using my time over and back.

I would like to ask questions and use my time over and back. First, the vaccination centre for Limerick is the Radisson Blu Hotel on the Ennis Road, technically in County Clare but obviously servicing Limerick and that region. While we have had a successful roll-out with more than 50,000 people vaccinated, issues have arisen for people who do not have access to private cars and who must use the bus service there. The current bus service, which is the 343 Limerick-to-Shannon bus route, goes every half hour during th…

I thank the Minister. A shuttle service or a location in the city as well would make a huge difference. You cannot have people crossing a motorway or dual carriageway. It is unsafe. In this modern age, we cannot have it. Vaccination is going well but we want it to be an absolute success. I want to refer to another issue. We had Professor Mark Ferguson in before the Joint Committee on Transport and Communications Networks yesterday. Professor Ferguson was appointed by the Government to set up and chair a Covid exper…

I have spoken to the Minister and told him that I welcome the return of the requirement for 10% of homes in new estates to be sold as affordable housing. It is a measure that should never have been dropped. It should have been continued. It is a sustainable model. It goes without saying that it is highly important that towns and villages be rejuvenated but I ask that this be done in a sustainable way. The density guidelines currently in operation outside of Dublin are not sustainable. If the densities are in the mi…

I wish to raise a point of order. I have two minutes. Can I ask the Minister of State to answer my question in those two minutes?

I will use one minute and leave one minute for the Minister of State to respond. I want to bring up one specific matter. Mental health issues cross every age group and cohort. I want to zone in on a particular group. I am referring to the young students and office workers who are working from their bedrooms. I am certain that this is a hidden mental health issue. I want to know what the Minister of State is doing to ensure that when this cohort - the students and workers who are operating from their bedrooms - come…

I will speak about the vaccination roll-out. It may not be known by the public that the great majority of people will be vaccinated by Pfizer and Moderna, in the main. When does the Minister expect the European Medicines Agency to come back to NPHET in respect of reviewing and extending the second-dose period? Has he looked at information from Pfizer showing 80% efficiency-proof against the virus after the first dose? Has he looked at extending the second-dose interval period from four weeks to six, eight or 12 wee…

I have a couple of points regarding Limerick. Will partners be able to be present at the birth of their children in maternity hospitals? This is a major issue. Staff in the hospital have been vaccinated. At this point it is a human rights issue. Another issue that is coming up repeatedly is students who require vaccines for their placements in the health and other sectors. What is happening there? What is being done to ramp up ambulance services to provide vaccines at home for people who are in a vulnerable categor…

On a point of order, I did not speak for my entire two minutes.

I looked for time for the Minister to answer me within the two minutes. My questions have not been answered. I am entitled, as a parliamentarian, to use the time as allocated. The Acting Chairman should have allowed the Minister to answer my questions. My questions have not been answered. That is unfair.

I used my two minutes to enable the Minister to respond, but he has not done so.

I was allocated two minutes and I am entitled to have my questions answered.

I have two other quick questions to which I would like the Minister to respond.

I want to speak about the European Council summit in the context of Covid-19 vaccines. I note that the transparency and authorisation mechanism for vaccine exports has been extended until the end of June. I also note that the UK has received 9.1 million vaccine doses from the EU, which is virtually three times the amount exported to the next highest on the list, Canada. While it is important that we continue to export vaccines, the UK must acknowledge the level of vaccines coming from the EU and must stop playing g…

I will take a minute to ask the Minister questions and he might respond. When will he get to a point, with the roll-out of the vaccine and the quantity of vaccines coming in, where he will be able to indicate to all cohorts when they will be vaccinated? Second, when we see AstraZeneca hiding 29 million doses in an Italian warehouse, which were destined for the UK and had been manufactured in an unapproved plant in the Netherlands, have we reached a point where it will be impossible to work with AstraZeneca with reg…

I will speak on the same issue. Following on the comments of my colleague, Deputy Richmond, people are in many cases at breaking point with Covid-19 fatigue setting in. What will be the process on 5 April by which the Government will look at dealing with the reality when many people will be moving beyond level 5 by way of extending the limit from the 5 km, people being able to attend religious services and being able to click and collect? Will the Tánaiste be able to give clarity on this sooner rather than later?

I want to address the same point. We have a vaccination programme under way. When does the Taoiseach anticipate that the vaccination programme will form part of the process of reopening? When does he see it becoming a feature from 5 April on? The hospitality sector in Limerick includes publicans, restaurateurs and hoteliers. They are severely anxious about the future of their industry, both in retaining the staff and skill sets they have, and more particularly when they will be able to reopen. What does the Taoisea…

In advance of the European Council meeting I want to speak about the Covid-19 vaccine programme and specifically the AstraZeneca vaccine. This morning 29 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine were found in a warehouse in Italy. They appear to have come from the AstraZeneca Halix plant in the Netherlands, which is yet to be approved by the EU as a manufacturing facility. Furthermore, it appears they were bound for the UK and not the EU. AstraZeneca must be called out on that. How did that happen? How did they com…