Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Like the Deputy, I have been contacted by many GPs throughout the country very reasonably asking the same question as to when they will be vaccinated. Not only are they front-line workers, they will also be involved in the vaccination programme. There are 150,000 front-line healthcare workers in the second prioritisation cohort. They include GPs and many others who work in hospitals and throughout the community. As a result of this, some GP vaccination has already started and more will be starting in the coming days.

Where we are right now is that by Sunday week we will have vaccinated 140,000 people. This will include just over 70,000 individuals who are in long-term residential care and approximately 70,000 front-line healthcare workers. We will have got out almost all of the vaccine that has come into the country. We have reduced the buffer. At first, Ireland and most other countries decided to keep the second dose in reserve because there were questions about supply chains. That very quickly improved and we moved down to holding just one week's supply. As a result of the urgency and because of the very positive supply chain deliveries we have had, we are reducing the buffer to approximately 2.5 to three days. All front-line workers can know they are being prioritised. Half of the vaccinations are going to front-line workers, including GPs, and the number we are aiming for is 140,000 by Sunday week, which is approximately a week and a half from now. Specifically, which GPs in which towns, villages and counties will be vaccinated is an operational decision for each of the hospital groups.

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