Beacon Hospital's sharing of vaccines with school teachers 'a slap in the face' — Simon Coveney

Foreign Minister says the board of the Beacon hospital have a responsibility now to ensure the individuals are held to account

Coronavirus vaccine operations at the Beacon hospital have been suspended after it emerged the hospital used spare doses to vaccinate teachers at a private school. Picture: Brian Lawless/PA

The behaviour of the Beacon Clinic to share vaccines with teachers in the school of the children of its CEO was “such a slap in the face” to families waiting to get the jabs, Minister Simon Coveney has said.

Speaking on Sunday, Mr Coveney strongly criticised the actions of Beacon Clinic’s chief executive Michael Cullen and while he did not call for his resignation, he called on the Beacon board to ensure individuals are held to account.

“This is such a slap in the face to so many people, and that's why people are so angry about this, so many families that have loved ones that are vulnerable to this virus, patiently waiting for a vaccine,” Mr Coveney said.

"Seeing this story has generated an awful lot of anger, he added.

Asked should Mr Cullen resign, Mr Coveney said: “I don't think it's a good precedent for a senior minister to be on the radio calling for someone to resign.

"But what I'd say is that I think the board of the Beacon hospital have a responsibility now to ensure the individuals are held to account.”

I do expect the board to ensure that that accountability is there in the decisions that they're going to make in the days ahead. And I think that would be reflected across government.

He said the decision by Health Minister Stephen Donnelly to suspend the Beacon’s involvement in vaccine rollout was one he supported even though Mr Donnelly had said just 24-hours before that to do that would be to “shoot ourselves in the foot”.

Mr Coveney said by the time the decision was taken to suspend, it was clear how much public anger there was around the issue.

“I think Stephen Donnelly's initial response to this was looking at let's do nothing that slows down the rollout of vaccines. 

Mr Coveney strongly criticised the actions of Beacon Clinic’s chief executive Michael Cullen. File Picture

"But I think when he considered the issue, when, when all of us experienced the public anger on the back of this, this issue, I think Mr Donnelly made the right decision,” Mr Coveney said.

“This is about the vaccine rollout and ensuring that we get credibility and belief back into the vaccine rollout, It's also about accountability and making sure it is correct. 

"That's why I'm being very direct with you that we expect the board to ensure that there is full accountability,” he told RTÉ Radio.

Mr Coveney said he was not aware of any deal on offer from Britain for vaccines which may be surplus to their requirements.

“There isn't an offer that I'm aware of, or that the government's aware of, from the UK, of course, if there was, we'd be very interested in, in talking to the British government about that. 

"But, we have to distinguish between media briefings on the front of a Sunday newspaper,” he said.

Mr Coveney said there “is a long way to go” before Britain is in a position of having surplus vaccines.