Colm Burke (Cork North Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

It is welcome that the Minister has made the announcement today setting out clear guidelines in regard to how different groups will get the vaccine and the priority that has been decided. It is important that we acknowledge the work of everyone involved in this matter, in particular the National Immunisation Advisory Committee for its recommendations.

I agree with my colleague about transparency. This is going to be quite a complex roll-out because it is not just one round of vaccinations. There will be a second round, as I understand it. It is important, therefore, that records are kept and that they are carefully structured. I have not seen yet how this is going to be managed during the roll-out to make sure records are carefully kept of who has received the vaccine before the second round occurs. It is important there is clarification on that.

I note we are talking about people who are vulnerable, especially people in nursing homes and long-term care facilities, who are the No. 1 priority. There are also those working in the healthcare sector. That includes everyone in the healthcare sector, the doctors, nurses and care assistants, but also the people who are on the ground in healthcare facilities. They also need to be prioritised because they provide a major contribution in making sure healthcare is delivered, whether that is porters, cleaning staff or administrative staff. It is extremely important they are included when we talk about healthcare workers in all of that area.

To conclude, we need clarification in regard to the record keeping and how that is going to be monitored as we roll out this vaccine.

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