THE Taoiseach and Minister for Health have been asked to respond to criticism from a Limerick councillor who has the Treaty City and County have been ‘left behind” others, including the Taoiseach’s home county, Cork, over the number of COVID-19 vaccination centres to be rolled out.
This afternoon Minister for Health, Stepehen Donnelly confirmed locations for 37 vaccination centres, which included one centre for Limerick and five centres for Cork.
Independent Limerick Councillor Frankie Daly, who is also on the board of the Regional Health Forum West, said: “I’m absolutely shocked at the whole thing, Limerick is the poor relation, and the Minister and the Taoaiseach need to be called out on it.”
Cllr Daly said the vaccination centre earmarked for Limerick – the Radisson Blu Hotel – is actually located in County Clare, about a mile from the Limerick border, “so Limerick actually technically doesn’t even have any vaccination centre”.
“What about the people in West Limerick, East Limerick, it’s a joke. We have the Taoiseach with his home county and its state of the art Pairc Ui Chaoimh, so when the vaccinations do arrive there, they are going to be set up ten times better than Limerick. Even Galway has the Galway races, (Galway Racecourse), and we’ve the Radisson, and lets be honest about it, it is a small hotel with a limited capacity in terms of vaccine pods and you couldn’t compare the Radisson to Pairc Ui Chaoimh.”
“I’m calling on the government to relook at Limerick and provide vaccination centres within the city and county, I think it’s really unfair.”
Cllr Daly, who is a member of the HSE Regional Health Forum West, added that, another of Cork’s vaccine centres, Mallow GAA Club, “is an absolutely monster development”.
“I’d suggest the Gaelic Grounds in Limerick would definitely be one place they could set up a vaccine centre; our gaa clubs, our big churches in Limerick city; and, we have one of the biggest universities in the country at the University of Limerick”, Cllr Daly remarked.
“It’s terrible, we are just being left behind, and there’s no clarity over when the centres are going to open, to me its a case of – keep it quiet and let everyone accept it and hope that nobody asks any questions – well I don’t think it’s acceptable”.
Informed sources said the University of Limerick had offered its facilities as a vaccination site in early January this year, but it is not included in a list of 37 centres announced by the health minister this morning.
A UL spokesman said: “UL President Professor Kerstin Mey has offered the use of UL facilities for vaccination purposes to Professor Brian MacCraith, chair of the COVID-19 vaccine taskforce. UL remains ready to support the HSE vaccination programme in any way it can. The roll-out of the programme and the logistics are a matter for the HSE.”
The Department of Health was asked last Tuesday, and again last Saturday, and again this morning, about the offer by UL but it has yet to respond.
Limerick Sinn Fein TD, Maurice Quinlivan, also questioned the lack of a vaccination centre within Limerick city, adding he was “deeply concerned” with the location announced by the health minister and that it the decision to locate one at the Radisson “beggars belief”.
“One must wonder the extent of local consultation that was sought by the Department of Health in choosing this location.This decision demonstrates a lack of imagination and foresight,” said Deputy Quinlivan.
“It is illogical to put the centre in a location that is remote for many city residents. The next cohort of people to be scheduled to avail of the vaccine are our more senior citizens. Many of these citizens are dependent on public transport and the selection of this location will put a burden on them,” he added.
The Taoiseach and Minister for Health have been asked for comment.
