Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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748. To ask the Minister for Health the items in the general practitioner vaccination contract over and above that which nurses do for less than a quarter of the hourly rate of doctors. [6498/21]

Pat Buckley (Cork East, Sinn Fein)
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868. To ask the Minister for Health his plans to provide additional remuneration for nursing staff in general practice settings in line with the €120 payment being provided to the general practitioner; and the reason for the position of his Department in this regard. [7044/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 748 and 868 together.

Among the healthcare workers that will administer vaccinations under National COVID-19 Vaccination Programme Strategy and Implementation plans, only GPs and pharmacists are private practitioners, and as such require the setting of fees payable for the administration of vaccines against Covid-19. Where fees are paid to GPs, these are intended to include the full costs of scheduling and administering the vaccine and must cover not only GP pay, but also the additional payments to practice nurses and practice administrators who will be involved in providing vaccinations outside of normal clinic hours, as well as the additional costs of cleaning surgeries.

GPs and pharmacists are being asked to provide a proactive vaccination service which will require dedicated vaccination clinics while also maintaining regular services. They are also being asked to undertake administrative functions with regard to patient identification and consent. As with other types of vaccinations, the fees reflect the amount of time required, administrative complexity, and the level of post-vaccination care likely required. Furthermore, the fees have been agreed in consideration that GPs will be providing this service to both private and public patients without charge.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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749. To ask the Minister for Health the reason pharmacists were not included with general practitioners when they were being vaccinated recently given their ongoing interactions with the public throughout the pandemic period and the fact that they could be and probably will be relied upon to help in vaccinating the community in the near future when the full roll-out of vaccines begins in earnest. [6500/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: .

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.

The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.

The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus.

The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.

The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group will begin this month.

All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.

The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in direct patient contact roles will be vaccinated in Group 2. This includes HCWs working in public, private, and voluntary settings. Other HCWs, not in direct patient contact, will be vaccinated in Group 4.

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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750. To ask the Minister for Health the vaccination category Dublin Fire Brigade paramedics are in; and when vaccinations are likely to be scheduled. [6524/21]

Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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775. To ask the Minister for Health the position of firefighters and paramedics in the vaccination roll-out scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6628/21]

Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 750 and 775 together.

The COVID-19 Vaccine Allocation Strategy sets out a provisional list of groups for vaccination. The Strategy was developed by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (NIAC) and my Department, endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), and approved by Government on 8 December 2020.

Vaccine allocation is a matter for my Department and further information is available here: .

The rollout of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is the responsibility of the HSE.

The aim of the COVID-19 vaccination programme is to ensure, over time, that vaccine will become available to vaccinate all of those for whom the vaccine is indicated. Given that there will be initially limited vaccines available, it will take some time for all to receive those vaccines and that has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure that those most at risk of death and serious illness receive the vaccine first.

The priority is to first vaccinate and protect directly the most vulnerable amongst us, that is, those most likely to have a poor outcome if they contract the virus.

The priority is to directly use vaccines to save lives and reduce serious illness, hence the focus on the over 65 year old cohort in long term residential care facilities, and healthcare workers in frontline services often caring for the most vulnerable.

The next group to be vaccinated are those aged 70 and older in the following order: 85 and older, 80-84, 75-79, and 70-74. Vaccination of this group will begin this month.

All of the groups will be covered as further vaccine supplies become available and the immunisation programme is rolled out nationally.

The evidence will be kept under review and the allocation groups may be updated, where necessary, in light of new evidence.

Frontline healthcare workers (HCWs) in direct patient contact roles will be vaccinated in Group 2. This includes HCWs working in public, private, and voluntary settings. Other HCWs, not in direct patient contact, will be vaccinated in Group 4.

The HSE has published a document on the sequencing of COVID-19 vaccination of frontline healthcare workers, which provides more detail. It is available at the following link: