Mary Harney (Dublin Mid West, Independent)

I thank Deputies for their generous comments. We will be proactive in the first instance with parents because we are vaccinating minors and parents must give their permission. This programme is currently being worked on by the HSE and will be announced shortly. We wish to start the vaccination programme before the summer because individuals must receive three doses during this calendar year and we must have a record of such individuals and so on.

Regarding cost, soundings were take from the companies even after the decision to postpone the programme from 2008 and 2009 to 2010. I met representatives from both companies. The figures being advanced at the time were substantially different from what subsequently transpired. To be fair to the two companies, they responded to my request and to the current financial circumstances in which the country finds itself. We are all aware from colleagues in other countries that large markets get pharmaceutical products, including vaccines, at substantially reduced prices, unlike small markets such as Ireland. Since we were aware of information from our nearest neighbours in respect of the cost, we were able to request that the companies respond in a similar fashion in Ireland to the way in which they responded in the UK and they did so. The cost reduction from €16 million to €3 million is not only savings in vaccine. Clearly, the bulk of the savings are from the vaccine but there are also savings on the administration of the vaccine by the HSE, the cost of which has been considerably reduced as well.

It is unfortunate and I am loath to say it because it sounds churlish, but we are not able to repay individuals who may have paid €600. We are simply not in a position to do so.

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