Fianna Fáil TDs annoyed by Donnelly vaccine gaffe

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly: Faces a dressing down from party colleagues. 

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly is facing a dressing down from deeply annoyed party colleagues over his weekend gaffe about vaccinating younger people.

Mr Donnelly suggested over the weekend that the order in which remaining vaccines are administered could be done starting with 18 to 30 year-olds. He himself walked that notion back on Sunday.

Sligo-Leitrim TD Marc MacSharry said that the question had never been raised at any Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meetings and he had learnt of the proposal when it was reported in a national newspaper.

Mr MacSharry said that the plan did not seem to have any "political or scientific backing" and served to confuse people.

"Sadly, I learn Fianna Fáil policy from the Sunday papers or the airwaves."

He said that he had raised the prospect of spreading out the time between Pfizer doses at a party meeting "three months ago", but was dismissed, with the Government now set to do just that.

"There's no semblance of a plan at times," he said.

The swift turnaround in the proposal has led to some criticism from within Mr Donnelly's Fianna Fáil party, with some TDs concerned that the party has taken the blame for circumstances outside its control around the vaccine rollout because Mr Donnelly is "always on the radio".

One TD said that Mr Donnelly's comments over the weekend were "very poorly articulated" and had "led to a lot of heat" for the party, particularly from gardaí and teachers. Another source said that Mr Donnelly's interviews during the week had had "mis-steps and miscommunications" which had "left people confused and annoyed, frankly".

Another said that the Government was "being led by those who make the most noise on social media".

"We took a hammering from the teachers when the Niac advice was that age was the best way to rollout vaccines. But then everyone had bought into the science of age and then they come out with this 18-30 plan, which upset things.

"The reality is, the less said, the best. Forget every other plan, every other agenda ... It's all avoidable.

Overall, the party's TDs believe that both Mr Donnelly and the Government have become too focused on the vaccine rollout's statistics and figures, with the public being "frustrated" by the ongoing talk of targets, saying that there needs now to be more focus on the post-pandemic recovery.

"Behind the scenes the Government should be finalising a further economic recovery plan to especially aid the sectors most impacted by ongoing pandemic in addition to ensuring healthcare gets the required assistance, resources and funding to provide non-Covid care in timely fashion."

However, Mr Donnelly has the support of the Government, colleagues said. Further Education Minister Simon Harris said the health minister is supported by the Government.

"The Cabinet stands full square behind the minister for health, who has an extraordinarily tough job and is doing the job of ensuring there are as many jabs in arms as possible and getting us through this horrific and difficult time."

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said Mr Donnelly was "teasing out" various scenarios in relation to the 18-to-30 vaccine rollout.