@Marc Johns: Hold the government to account for problems in the global supply chain of vaccines ? Speaking whatever tripe pops into your head is not the same as speaking the truth.

@Marc Johns: we didn’t have the vaccine 2 months ago and did you want front line workers and care home residents brought to a hurling field to get their shot?!?

@Marc Johns: except that that’s not accurate at all. It’s not late. Ireland, like every other country, can only operate within the limits of the amount of vaccines its received. For example we got a shipment of just over 5k in the first batch. Are you seriously suggesting all these vaccination centres should have been open when we were only getting small amounts of Pfizer vaccines at the start? As the shipments increased so the numbers of people being able to be vaccinated has increased. That’s why these centres are now needed. Common sense. Also there is no correlation between your idea of a delay and deaths increasing. The vaccine wasn’t approved until late December. Deaths increased because the new strain hit the country when we opened at Christmas.

@Marc Johns: eh, no, it’s not “late”, as there isn’t enough supply of vaccines to warrant opening them yet.
If they opened 2 months ago, you’d be complaining about why everyone was standing around doing nothing in them, as they don’t have enough vaccines to go round.
There was no point opening them before now, and there still won’t be any point for a couple of months yet, until we get enough vaccines being produced and delivered to us.

@Marc Johns: marc go to bed , what are ya talking about fan boy status for, you haven’t a scoobie doo what your talking about..get off the page man

@Ger: and who permitted the reopening and the travel??

@Tommy Roche: yes exactly. We are one of the richest countries in the world. We should have been in the ranks of Israel and the UAE on this topic. Every. Single. Day. Counts.

@Sarah Cullen: what’s that got to do with anything? We had been in lockdown for 6 weeks before. People were advised to avail of late shopping hours, no one listened, shops and streets were as busy as any other year. People were given guidance on social distancing and mask wearing if they visited family, also reducing numbers. People clearly didn’t listen to that either. No one forced people to shop in crowed shops or walk in crowded streets. People went into town, saw the crowds and decided to take the risk. Its on us. If the government had ordered a lockdown over Christmas do you honestly think these people would have listened?

@Ger: “on us” being a very loose term, I did none of the items described above. It is on the government, even MM has said he made the wrong decision to not listen to nphet advise. While I take your point on the supply of the vaccine, (totally ignoring other countries within the EU getting their own supplies elsewhere), I do not accept that enough was done to avoid the situation of last month where as a nation from the top down we failed all of the people who died. Also it was entirely predictable that it would go one way and one way only. But no I am not accepting your “on us” on any level, I kept my kids away from other kids, I didnt go out shopping, even to the supermarket, I had xmas dinner just those who live in the house, I didnt party, I havent been in a pub in a year etc. I even emailed MM and Varadkar before xmas advising of how it would go (exactly as it did) if they kept schools open til 22nd and allowed intergenerational mixing thereafter….. Its not on me.

@Sarah Cullen: when I say “on us” I mean the people in general. Like you, I followed all the advice as did my family and we were able to have a safe if limited Christmas and no one got infected. The people who ignored the advice would have ignored the restrictions. You know it and I know it. It happened in the UK. The UK had tight restrictions over Christmas and their deaths went through the roof in January also. At an even higher rate than ours actually. 3 to 1 per head of population for most of the month. The UK varient hitting us as we relaxed restrictions was the perfect storm sadly.

@Marc Johns: you speak gibberish and you won’t be holding anything or anyone to account.

@Mark Murphy: I’m not one for whinging but I won’t be traveling to Enniscorthy for a vaccine which for me is 23km away plus Enniscorthy is at the centre of high cases in Co Wexford right now. Why can’t a centre be sought in Wexford town also say Clonard Community Centre or or Wexford County Council building or Wexford library Talbot Hotel or others.

@Marc Johns: look Is really paid several times what we are paying and as an extra sweetener for Pfizer agreed to give them almost real time data on the vaccinated population. They are in a position to do that sas they have the most advanced health service IT system in the world.
Lithuania tried to source vaccines independently and were priced out of it by bigger competitors.

@Marc Johns: You need a break from the Journal lad. Get out and get some fresh air for yourself or watch a 6 season TV show. Anybody who doesn’t agree with your perennially negative nonsense is derided as being a ‘fanboy’. It must be painful being that pessimistic. “I’m gonna wake up this morning and go on the Journal to complain about the Government. Again.” You think you’re ‘holding them to account?’ You realise that none of them read this?

@Mark Murphy: people are entitled to their opinions. You’re not the only person with an opinion that’s valid

@Marc Power: You’re entitled to an opinion Marc, but don’t be offended if that opinion is found to be utter horsesh*t.

@Marc Power: You’re entitled to an opinion Marc, but don’t be offended if that opinion is found to be utter rubbish.

@Marc Power: You’re entitled to an opinion Marc, but don’t be offended if that opinion is found to be nonsense.

@Mark Murphy: he’s telling the truth unlike you and your sheep like posting

@Marc Power: good man marc. Head on back inside and finish your colouring in book, fresh air got to ya.

@Mark Murphy: Whingefest already on Liveline.

@Tommy Roche: 26,000 doses of AstraZeneca arrived in this country two and half weeks ago and last I heard they had administered 700 doses. Supply is an issue but it’s not the whole story. Utterly ridiculous.

@Marc Johns: If Ireland is one of the richest nations in the world as you suggest then why in 2009 did we have to get the Bank Of England to give Ireland a loan to bail us out.

@Mark Murphy: 37…not enough…delayed aswell…not good enough …15 million vaccinated in England to our 200,000 plus, not good enough..
Well you did ask.

@Mark Murphy: How about the GAA having its over active snout in the trough as usual?

@Marc Johns: The fatalities were caused by people spreading the virus at Christmas. Cant vaccinate if you dont have them and we dont have them.

@Marc Johns: Money makes only a small difference in this issue and not enough to change anything for us.

@: They need a venue with certain facilities and this is the best one. It is not they figured lets pick there I always liked that town. Separate entrances and exits with complete segregation etc. are required

@Marc Power: So everybody is wrong bar the Marc’s, you certainly are that a right pair of marks.

@Gary Kearney: Wexford town has such facilities Talbot hotel Whites Hotel Clonard Community Centre Wexford Co Co building Talbot is currently used by IBTS every 3 months and it works Clonard Community Centre has multiple entrances and exits and toilet facilities Scoil Mhuire National School another St Joseph’s Centre Loreto Secondary school. Or rent a large marquee place that marquee on a football pitch with car park facilities. Lots of options. Enniscorthy is not a problem for me but for some who can’t travel have to find a way to get there.

@Marc Power: we’re a small fish when it comes to supply, whether we like it or not

@Marc Power: Because there was no need for them. And there still isn’t. When supplies from drug companies increase, then they’ll be needed.
We’re currently using everything we get.
We have more than enough capacity and capability, but not enough supplies of vaccines coming, this will increase in the next few months.
This is outlined in the article if you bother to read it.

@Mark Murphy: they are making a valid point tho so its not a criticism. Look at the vaccine roll out here compared to NI for example. We are dragging our feet whilst small business owners are struggling

@Marc Power: we didnt have the vaccine supply

@Marc Power: has the limited supply justified sorting this before now?

@Marc Power: it wasn’t needed before now.

@James Lyons: we’re not actually. We’re getting the same amount as every other EU nation per head of population and are still in the top 3 in the EU for numbers with shots in arms.

@Seanie Bourke: define “dragging our feet”. Every single vile of vaccine we have is being used. If we were dragging our feet there would be loads being dumped every day because they’re not being used. The UK approved the vaccines before the EU did, that’s why NI is ahead. If the EU rushed to approve them people would be complaining about that too. We can only work with what we have and we are ramping up week on week. Just like every other country in the world

@Marc Power: I’d they were built and not being used you’d complain about wasting tax payers money

@Mark Murphy: what the article contains is an ‘announcement’ about a rollout of vaccination centers. The rollout before the rollout. That’s where we are. Let’s see when these centers appear. The government is filling voids with announcements and hype and blah blah.
Planning for this should have begun in March with their announcements ready to report as soon as the vaccine was approved in December.

@J: nothing wrong with expecting more from a bunch of cl*wns who are more interested in rolling out depressing numbers every day rather than sourcing vaccines or planning ahead for when they are sourced. Bet your one of the I’m al right Jack types not financially affected by this government’s reaction to this pandemic? I am. So the feet dragging and acceptance of incompetence by people like you is part of the problem.

@GFunkEire: supply doesn’t seem to be an issue elsewhere. Why does it have to be here?

@GFunkEire: supply sourcing doesn’t seem to be a problem for other countries including Hungary… an EU country. Why does it have to be am issue here?

@Marc Power: maybe because you weren’t in charge?

@Marc Power: do you fancy rolling the dice with a Russian vaccine? Honest question. I’d rather mine was vetted according to EU standards.

@Seanie Bourke: We are not dragging our feet we have some of the best figure in the world and we are not taking the wild risks they are in the UK either.

@Niall Lee: Raddison is in Clare, that said it’s only 1.3 km from the county border with Limerick.

https://goo.gl/maps/aT6tQjtcDhMBmKhh9

@Patrick J. Keating: where’s the boundary pal

@Niall Lee: It’s at the “Welcome To County Clare” sign between Sheils Lansdowne and the Coonagh Roundabout. You’ll find that Sheils is also in County Clare as is The Two Mile Inn Hotel which is now a Care Home Facility.

@Adam O’Sullivan: Ah will you stop Adam. Seriously. Its clearly the limerick vaccine center.

“eM wElL aCtUaLlY iTs AcRoSs ThR bOrDeR”

It makes literally no difference that its 1500m further out the road. There will likely be shuttle services put on in addition to the 343 intercity bus that stops there regularly. 20min bus ride.

Half of UL is in Clare for god sake.

@Niall Lee: no its not, do your homework, its county clare

@David Jordan: obviously no hotels in limerick city

It’s in the Banner Co…Meelick parish ..

@Niall Lee: Radisson is in Clare

@Mr_Bumkee: your not allowed make sense on the journal, the moaners won’t be happy.

@Adam O’Sullivan: It’s a very poor location for a Limerick centre. Surely Ballysimon, Castletroy or even Limerick Racecourse would have been more suitable for city and county dwellers alike. The Dock, Condell and Ennis roads are always busy and the Radisson is at the wrong side of the city for most people living across the county.

@Mr_Bumkee: it doesn’t change its in Clare and inaccessible for a large amount of limerick

@Patrick J. Keating: A City can span a county boundary you half-wit.

@Shaun Gallagher: why so many test centres to begin with but so few vaccine centres?

@Shaun Gallagher: Sure half of Mayo live in Galway.

@Mark Murphy: Poke poke poke. Grow up and find something meaningful to be right about.

@JustBEERbarry: Are there many test centers? I only know of one in Cork, and even that’s a guess tbh. I genuinely couldn’t tell you where the test centers are here in Cork.

And the spread of vaccination places in Cork is very bad. I’m in North East Cork. None are anywhere reasonably close to me. 3 are clustered in the city.. Clonmel in Tipp would nearly be more convenient for me…

@JustBEERbarry: because….. there are limited supplies of vaccine… there wasn’t limits on testing… no point in opening 60 or 70 vaccine centres and ppl sat around doing very little, much more sense that each centre is busy

@Shaun Gallagher:

Agree huge counties like Galway and Mayo while small counties like Kerry and Westmeath has 2, what was the criteria for how many in each county,

@Mark Murphy: 2 in Kerry with a smaller population than donegal.

@JustBEERbarry: Same with Limerick. One centre situated inside the Clare border with three very busy bottlenecks to access it. Makes no sense given how suitable Ballysimon, Castletroy or the Racecourse would have been for city and county dwellers alike.

@Johnny: also johnny, I have just looked up the Mayo centre (singular) its 7.1km away from any public transport depots….assuming everyone can access a bus to castlebar from Mayo… belmullet to breaffy house is 2 hours and 39 minutes using public transport….each way. I think you may have overlooked the size of the counties….remember we actively want people to take the vaccine.

@Frank Brennan: cork will have 5

@Johnny: Cork has 5 vaccination centres with 40% of Dublin population

@Sarah Cullen: the vaccine will also be given in GP practices, pharmacies, and probably dentists too. It isn’t just these 37 places. Belmullet to Breaffy House is irrelevant. There will be many places to get the vaccine.

@Sean Leonard: Because some people won’t step inside a church, myself included…

@Neil Farrell: is that because you’re only 12? It’s for a vaccine not mass, plonker

@ismiijill: probably something to do with Darby pushing Tommy Doyle before the goal in ’82.

@ismiijill: contracts are to be finalised. Says it at the bottom of the article.