Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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I welcome members of the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, who will provide us with an update on Covid-19, examine the increased levels of Covid-19 in the community and the capacity of the hospital system and intensive care units to cope with this increased demand and provide an update on the further easing of Covid-19 restrictions.

I also welcome representatives of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC. They will provide an update on the roll-out of the Covid-19 vaccination programme, and an update on the need for vaccine booster shots and upcoming vaccination plans for the winter.

From NPHET, I welcome Dr. Tony Holohan, Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Ronan Glynn, deputy chief medical officer, and Professor Philip Nolan, president, Maynooth University, member and chair of the Irish Epidemiological Modelling Advisory Group, IEMAG, and from the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, I welcome Professor Karina Butler, chair, and Dr. Kevin Connolly, special adviser.

Before we hear our witnesses' opening statements, I need to point out to them that there is uncertainty that parliamentary privilege will apply to their evidence from a location outside of the parliamentary precincts of Leinster House. If, therefore, they are directed by me to cease giving evidence on a particular matter, they must respect that direction.