Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú) | Oireachtas source

Like most people, I hope that we have a safe, ethically produced and effective vaccine that will help the country to get back to normal. However, I am very concerned by reports that the Government has indemnified the private companies producing these vaccines. I am concerned that this has happened in secret, with no political discussion or scrutiny. Furthermore, when the Government indemnifies private companies, it takes away the economic imperative for those companies to make sure that their product is 100% safe and leaves the country potentially exposed to millions of euro in costs in the future. Has the Government indemnified these private companies or will it do so? If so, what will Ireland be on the hook for, potentially, if all does not go according to plan?

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