Gerard P. Craughwell Challenges Government on RSV Vaccine for Over-65s
Gerard P. Craughwell urged action on RSV vaccination for people over 65 and criticised the toxicity of social media campaigning. He called for face-to-face public hearings with social media companies and pressed for the government to adopt international evidence on RSV vaccination for older adults.
He described social media as an "extremely toxic environment" and criticised mass emails that address politicians impersonally as "dear deputy" or "dear Oireachtas member." He challenged Cahirla to lead efforts to summon social media companies for a public, face-to-face session and offered the House his full support.
He raised a commencement matter about making the RSV vaccine available to people over 65 and said the departmental reply read on behalf of a minister dealt mainly with infant vaccination. He noted a technical group is examining the vaccine's benefits and questioned why the response focused on babies rather than older adults.
He cited international practice as evidence - pointing to Scotland, Britain and Wales where older adults receive the vaccine every three years up to age 80 - and argued the vaccine reduces morbidity and hospital bed usage. He asked colleagues to consider adopting that international evidence for over-65s.
He disclosed he is over 65 and has paid €235 for the vaccine but warned that many people on the old age pension cannot afford that cost. He urged party leaders and colleagues to raise the matter in party rooms to seek access to the RSV vaccine for those aged over 65.
Social media and public consultation
He described social media as an "extremely toxic environment" and criticised mass emails that address politicians impersonally as "dear deputy" or "dear Oireachtas member." He challenged Cahirla to lead efforts to summon social media companies for a public, face-to-face session and offered the House his full support.
RSV vaccine commencement matter
He raised a commencement matter about making the RSV vaccine available to people over 65 and said the departmental reply read on behalf of a minister dealt mainly with infant vaccination. He noted a technical group is examining the vaccine's benefits and questioned why the response focused on babies rather than older adults.
International evidence and health benefits
He cited international practice as evidence - pointing to Scotland, Britain and Wales where older adults receive the vaccine every three years up to age 80 - and argued the vaccine reduces morbidity and hospital bed usage. He asked colleagues to consider adopting that international evidence for over-65s.
Cost and impact on older people
He disclosed he is over 65 and has paid €235 for the vaccine but warned that many people on the old age pension cannot afford that cost. He urged party leaders and colleagues to raise the matter in party rooms to seek access to the RSV vaccine for those aged over 65.
We publish thousands of recordings to make Irish politics transparent and resistant to manipulation. Spotted an error? Report it — together we are building a reliable archive of Irish politics.
Other speeches
Tego samego dnia All speeches from this day →
Sharon Keogan
Sharon Keogan urges full probe into Tusla after child's disappearance
Paul Murphy
Paul Murphy: Calls €675m VAT Cut a 'Corporate Handout'
Joe O'Reilly
Joe O'Reilly demands action on Virginia bypass, wastewater and housing
Carol Nolan
Carol Nolan warns auto-enrolment will hit low-paid workers
Michael Fitzmaurice
Michael Fitzmaurice questions Renewer, nutrient rules and river myths
Carol Nolan
Carol Nolan introduces bill to expand trespass law to farmland
Transcript
Just following on from my colleague who spoke about social media there, it has become an extremely toxic environment and we're all now used to the whipping up of mass emails into us to support this or that or the other, which they don't even do you the courtesy of referring to you by your name. They refer to you as dear deputy, dear Oireachtas member. I'm not a deputy, I'm a senator or I'm Gerard or you can call me Crockwell if you want. But I would throw the gauntlet down to you, Cahirla, because you've done some pretty good work on public consultation and our colleague said maybe we should get the social media companies in because God knows it's impossible to contact them. Maybe we should get them in here and maybe we should have a face-to-face with them in the full glare of the public. And I think that you're the one that can actually lead that and I would ask you to consider that over the next couple of days and any support I can give and I'm sure any other member of the House can give, you would get it, 100%. Yesterday my colleague Lynn Ruan spoke about the absence of ministers for commencement matters. Yesterday I had a commencement matter on the extremely important issue of the RSV vaccine for people over the age of 65. I'm aware of the fact that the minister has laid on the RSV vaccine for children, for babies born. Thousands of people die every year through the RSV virus. And the department in providing an answer for the minister, and in fairness to Thomas Bourne, ministers Thomas Bourne, all he could do was read out the answer he was given because he's not in that department as far as I'm aware. So they gave him an answer. I was talking about over 65 and the answer I got was about babies. And the last paragraph dealt with the fact that there is a technical group looking into the benefits of this vaccine. Why are they looking into it? Scotland, Britain and Wales have got it. If you're over 70, you get the vaccine, it's once every three years, and you can get it up until the age of 80. It reduces the level of morbidity, it reduces the number of hospital beds, and the evidence is clear internationally. Why can't we just adopt the evidence from abroad and bring it in? I would ask you through your party to raise the matter again, and maybe it's unfair to do that to you, leader, but to raise it in party rooms and say, can we not just look at the international evidence and bring the RSV vaccine available to those who are over 65? I don't want to get hit with the RSV vaccine, and it might not seem it, but I'm over 65. So I don't want it. I have to pay 235 euros to get that vaccine. I'm in the fortunate position, because I'm at the age I am and have less responsibilities to my family. I can afford 235 euros, but people living on the old age pension can't. Thank you. You're most correct. You certainly don't look at the over 50. Thank you.