Ms Susan Clyne:

It is in our submission to the committee, and the Irish Medical Organisation, IMO, has indicated this before. We are not saying that we are looking for a mandatory vaccination programme, we are saying that the HSE should fund a total population vaccine programme. At the moment the HSE funds the vaccine only for at risk groups and for those within the at risk groups even on the general medical services scheme, GMS. The HSE funds the actual, physical vaccine but not the administration of the vaccine. In light of the need to limit respiratory illnesses and flu in the community the IMO has called for the vaccine to be available on a total population basis, but available voluntarily. We would encourage the total population but we do not want to get into the debate on whether it should be mandatory to get the vaccine.