Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for his question. The Government is absolutely and wholly committed to the timely implementation of a Covid-19 immunisation programme once the vaccines are approved for use, particularly the vaccines that are in the European Union portfolio. In this regard, I have established a cross-Government high-level task force to oversee the development and implementation of a programme for the roll-out of vaccines. As the Deputy is aware, that is being chaired by Brian MacCraith of Dublin City University.

We are involved in a European Union procurement exercise. In fact, it is the first manifestation I have seen for a long time in the public health arena of a really good, co-ordinated and European Commission-led approach to the procurement of vaccines which gives all the smaller states a good opportunity. We have opted in to six advance purchase agreements with Moderna, Janssen, Pfizer-BioNTech , Sanofi Pasteur, CureVac and AstraZeneca, which was involved in the Oxford trial. The EU is still in advanced negotiations with Novavax, another pharmaceutical company, and is also looking at other possible additions to the EU vaccines portfolio.

The European Commission is seeking to develop a portfolio of vaccines with various vaccine developers. This serves to spread the risks relating to the development and procurement of Covid-19 vaccines from vaccine developers and member states respectively.It facilitates through collective purchasing power access for all member states to safe and efficacious vaccines that they would not otherwise be in a position to procure if they were operating in an individual capacity. It is a very significant advance for Europe to be able to behave in this way. Europe is also contributing to COVAX in terms of making sure that developing countries and others in less fortunate positions around the world can also gain access to the vaccines. Ireland will receive vaccine doses, subject to market approval being granted by the regulatory authorities, on a population pro ratabasis of 1.11% of the total European Union delivery.

The task force has met twice so far. Complex logistical challenges have been identified, including storage and transport requirements, and it is clear that the roll-out of a vaccine will require very careful and detailed whole-of-Government planning. The high-level task force will work with the Department of Health and the HSE to develop a national Covid-19 vaccination strategy and implementation plan for consideration by the Government and the chairman has undertaken to me that it will be ready by 11 December. We still do not have a vaccine approved but it is moving quickly, as the Deputy stated. I suspect the European Medicines Agency, EMA, which is the European approval authority, will work almost in tandem with the FDA in terms of the respective timelines.

The arrival of vaccines is a moment for doubling down on vigilance and social distancing and continuing to do everything we have to do to prevent the spread of the virus, but it does present a horizon and an opportunity to move on from this era of Covid-19 eventually.

In terms of the issues the Deputy raised, communications will be key to the roll-out of the vaccine. Historically, vaccines have eliminated some of the most devastating viruses that have killed many people. In that context, the Government, working with the authorities, will be promoting strongly the take-up of the Covid-19 vaccine.

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