The Health Minister should look at doing a new deal outside of the EU’s combined deal to secure Covid 19 vaccines, according to Sligo/Leitrim TD Marc Mac Sharry.

He has called on Minister Donnelly to do a side-deal to get greater quantities of the vaccine here.

It’s after Germany broke out of the EU’s combined purchase effort to get more doses of the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine.

Ireland is getting 1.1 per cent of an agreed group order from the European Commission.

The Fianna Fáil deputy, told Midwest News today that  he blames himself as a member of government for the slow rollout of the vaccine here,  but is now prepared to call it out – this country did not do enough last Summer to be ready for the distribution of the vaccine and we need more vaccines rolled out now.

A Fianna Fáil TD says he 'abhors racism' after suggesting the government buys Covid-19 vaccines from the Ku Klux Klan.

Marc MacSharry made the comments at a parliamentary party meeting last night.

The Sligo-Leitrim deputy was calling for Ireland to source vaccines when anywhere, when he says he used an 'appalling analogy'.

The stalemate over the supply of AstraZeneca vaccine to EU countries continues after the company and the EU failed to reach a resolution over its rollout.

The Pharma giant is warning of a shortage of supply - meaning Ireland will only get half of the 600,000 doses due by the end of March.

AstraZeneca is blaming production issues at European plants, but the EU says the company has to keep its contractual obligations.

It remains unclear what's going to happen next.

It's time that a line was drawn under the controversy surrounding Phil Hogan and Golfgate, as it's distracting from the work of Government - that's according to Sligo-based Fianna Fail TD Marc McSharry.

Phil Hogan's future as Ireland’s EU commissioner hangs in the balance due to the controversy over his attendance at the infamous Oireachtas Golf Society dinner in Clifden, and his travel in Ireland.

Here, the three Government leaders - the Taoiseach, Tanaiste and Green Party leader - issued a statement last night in which they said it's clear that breaches of public-health guidelines were made by Commissioner Phil Hogan since he travelled to Ireland.

Mr Hogan admits he made mistakes, but insisted he broke no regulations.

Phil Hogan yesterday published details of his travel in Ireland on a recent visit, and since then further details have emerged, including a social visit to Co Roscommon on August 17th on his way to Clifden.

This morning, Green Party leader Eamon Ryan said the Government has lost confidence in Commissioner Hogan, as he had breached public health advice.

The EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen is now deciding the fate of Phil Hogan, with a decision expected soon, and Sligo Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry says a line needs to be drawn under the controversy:

More than €105,000 has been refunded after residential service users with intellectual disabilities in Co Roscommon were wrongly charged for the provision of incontinence wear.

Details of the refund were included in a briefing by the HSE for the Dáil's Public Accounts Committee.

The committee heard last week that health authorities told the Brothers of Charity in Co Roscommon in 1997 that service users would not receive funding for these products.

On that basis, a number of service users were charged for incontinence wear between 2002 and 2013. It says the practice of charging for incontinence wear was stopped in 2013 following the investigation of a complaint made by the family of one of the individuals involved.

A total of €105,335 was provided on a once-off basis to the Brothers of Charity to refund clients for the "inappropriate charges" and the service users have received a "full refund".

Sligo Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry now wants the HSE and Brothers of Charity to answer further questions on the matter before the Public Accounts Committee.

There has been= a call for further clarity over the laboratories used for cervical screening tests.

Fianna Fail TD Marc MacSharry says questions need to be answered about the use of third party testing facilities to clear backlogs.

The Sligo Leitrim deputy wants to know if it happens, how it works, and whether the Health Minister knows about it.

Sligo Fianna Fáil deputy Marc Mac Sharry, who has been to the fore in criticizing the establishment and work of  the government’s Strategic Communications Unit says he welcomes its imminent abolition. 

He had been critical of the unit for some time, claiming it was using tax payers money for government propaganda.

A review of the Government’s Strategic Communications Unit  has concluded that continuous controversy surrounding it, in addition to a Dáil resolution for its disbandment, warranted its winding down.

The Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told the Cabinet yesterday that the unit will be wound down by July. All 15 staff will be redeployed to other areas of the Civil Service.

The review, which was conducted by the State’s top civil servant, exonerates the unit from claims of politicisation.

A Sligo-based Fianna Fail TD has launched a scathing attack on the Taoiseach over the Leo Varadkar controversy.

At a meeting of the parliamentary party meeting last night, Deputy Marc MacSharry criticised Mícheal Martin for his response to the Taniste's leaking of an IMO contract to a rival GP union.

The Sligo / Leitrim TD said he was 'disgusted' by Mr Martin's handling of the affair, and branded the Taoiseach "a disgrace".

A number of other TD's, including Barry Cowen, also voiced their frustration at the approach taken by the Taoiseach.

A leading medical professor claims lifting restrictions on air travel could cause a second wave of Covid-19 cases.

The Aviation Recovery Taskforce believes the government should end the 14-day quarantine and lift border restrictions from next week.

The taskforce recommendations will be discussed at a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team tomorrow.

The prevalence of the virus here remains low, with 10 new cases and three deaths confirmed yesterday.

Kingston Mills, professor of experimental immunology in Trinity College, says there'll be another spike if air travel resumes fully.

However, Fianna Fáil's transport and tourism spokesman, Sligo TD Marc MacSharry, is calling on the government to implement the taskforce's recommendations and restart the aviation business.

A Sligo TD has welcomed the assistance of Department officials in organising the return of a number of Irish doctors from Australia.

The group of 81 Irish doctors have left their jobs in Australia to return home to work in the Irish health service during the Covid-19 crisis, but flights they had booked were subsequently cancelled and they were unable to find a way to travel home.

Fianna Fail's Transport spokesman Sligo TD Marc McSharry says his niece is one of the doctors trying to return home, and thanks to the assistance of officials in the Departments of Transport and Foreign Affairs, the doctors will be flying from Australia to London tomorrow- at their own expense.

On their return back to Ireland, he says they will enter a period of self-isolation before joining the health service in the battle against coronavirus.....

Someone in the public sector will have to be held responsible for the Dáil printer controversy, according to Sligo TD Marc McSharry.

It was revealed this morning that the entire cost of buying and installing a new printer in the Oireachtas was more than 1.8 million euro.

Significant remodelling of the printing room had to be carried out as the printer didn't fit.

SLigo Fianna Fáil TD Marc MacSharry says it's down to pure incompetence: