Minister Patrick O'Donovan Minister Patrick O’Donovan has expressed the desire to see priests and undertakers treated as frontline workers when it comes to vaccination.
The Limerick Leader reported that Minister O’Donovan said he was planning to write to Government colleague, Stephen Donnelly, in relation to vaccination for priests and undertakers.
Speaking to The Irish Catholic, Mr O’Donovan said priests and undertakers are an “important” part of the pandemic, and that behind the death toll, you have pastors and priests accompanying the deceased and their families.
“I view them as frontline workers,” Minister O’Donovan said, noting that this should be reflected in the State’s rollout of the vaccination programme.
“I’m not talking about queue-jumping, but I believe spiritual workers are frontline workers,” he said.
Meanwhile, Bishop Denis Nulty has said that he also thinks priests are “very much in the front lines” and that they’re also “essential”.