Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour) | Oireachtas source

On Leaders' Questions, I raised with the Taoiseach the issue of what we will do regarding vaccines. I raised it in a non-political way and I hope the Taoiseach appreciates that. I think the people the Taoiseach referenced earlier are very eminent people, all of whom will make a significant contribution. However, I have a serious concern about co-ordination. I have a serious concern about leaving it to the current structures of the agencies we have and their capacity for the most important thing facing us as a country.

When it comes to the Cabinet committee on Government co-ordination, we now have a task force and a Cabinet subcommittee. The reality is that somebody needs to be in charge of vaccine roll-out. Somebody needs to be in charge of rules by which each and every agency and organisation act. It is not a case of whether Martin Shanahan of the IDA, who is an excellent chief executive, is responsible to his parent Department or to a task force. That cannot be the issue. They cannot be second-guessed. They have to know that they are putting aside whatever they are doing or their priorities in order to deal with this issue and that accountability is linear up to the Government. I genuinely do not mean that in a political sense. The Taoiseach does not have time to do this as well dealing with all the rest of us in here. We need one person to be responsible for this and to sit at the Cabinet table. It will probably only be for a year. I really urge the Taoiseach to reconsider this. In fact, that is not right. I am just asking him to consider it because, in fairness, he cannot reconsider it until it has been considered.

I am asking the Taoiseach to take up my suggestion because logistics will be a massive issue. The rules around who will get what and when will be a massive issue. I refer to the whole issue about mandatory versus non-mandatory. For instance, if vaccination is not mandatory, will people who do not get vaccinated be allowed into public events or public spaces as we open up the country? How would one have rules around that? I cannot even imagine it. I refer to the whole issue relating to ICT. What is going to be done about passports? I have had a number of Covid tests. I have seen passport technology and how it goes on one's phone. There will be a need for rules around how long that lasts.

The actual work of this committee is not just going to be for the roll-out and then everyone gets vaccinated and we are all happy. There are legacy issues that will have to be politically managed. We need somebody at Cabinet who will say "I am in charge. This is my job. This is my role." That person will be doing the State a serious service and will report to the Taoiseach and at Cabinet.

I know what is going on in other jurisdictions. I think the UK has been miles behind anything we have done on this issue since last February or March, but it has done this. I think it is right on this singular issue. I appreciate all the work that is going on with regard to vaccines, the number of vaccines coming through, all the work liaising with the Taoiseach's European colleagues and everything that is going to be done there. I understand all of it. I take an intense interest in detail on this.

I come from an IT background. There is a significant amount of logistics in terms of dealing with this issue. A significant amount of analysis will have to be done through a health passport. That will have to be done using PPS numbers and will have to take in a whole load of various other aspects and nominate by field with regard to people with various vulnerabilities. There is a range of other information.

This issue needs co-ordination. There is a co-ordination group in place. Its chairman is an eminent person. I have dealt with him in the past, both in government and in opposition, and he is well capable of this. However, there needs to be somebody who is politically over all this and all the agencies and groups and who will not be second-guessing in the context of their other work which obviously they have to do as well. I actually plead with the Taoiseach to do this.

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