Mr. Robert Watt:

I thank the Chair for those comments. It is not just the front-line workers but also the staff doing the negotiations, administrative staff and all the people in the Department of Health and the HSE, front-line and non-front-line, who are involved in this. It has been an incredible public health endeavour, considering the amount of vaccine administered.

We are doing everything we can to ensure there is no wastage. We are donating any doses we have which might be going out of date to other countries. There is always some wastage at a local level. It is always possible but is being kept to a minimum. Everything is being done to ensure the supply we need is used and, if there is surplus, it is donated to other countries. That is the policy but I do not think there has been significant wastage of deliveries received.

We have, however, diverted prospective deliveries that were due to come to Ireland to other countries, particularly in the lull after the end of the main second vaccination programme.

Deputy Dillon asked about vaccination compensation. I have not yet addressed that question. It is something the Department has committed to doing. We will have to look at that.