Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Under the protocol for prioritising people for the vaccine, the first group comprises nursing home residents and staff, as the Deputy knows. The second group comprises healthcare workers who have patient-facing roles and who either work with Covid-19 patients or other patients, such as in emergency departments. They are most at risk and they are supposed to be prioritised over healthcare staff who do not have patient-facing roles. We must allow a certain level of flexibility in hospitals but the Government policy and National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC, recommendations are very clear. Healthcare workers with patient-facing roles should be prioritised over healthcare workers who do not have such roles, but all healthcare workers will be vaccinated.

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