Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I do not see how that would help at this stage to advance the vaccination programme, given the lines of authority and the statutory framework which governs health. We have appointed a national task force. The national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, advises clinically on the vaccines in respect of safety and efficacy and prioritisation among groups. The HSE is essentially the operational arm of the entire project and it is accountable to the Secretary General of the Department of Health and, ultimately, to the Minister for Health, who is then accountable to the Dáil and the Oireachtas. That chain of accountability is very important regarding the roll-out of the vaccination programme and its administration and operationalisation. Drafting in a Minister of State would not fit into that crucial accountability framework.

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