Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time. I will take the first ten minutes approximately.

It is now a year since the World Health Organization declared the prevalence of Covid-19 to be a public emergency of international concern. Since that day, we have found ourselves living lives very different from those we may have expected or hoped for previously. Case numbers, people hospitalised and, most regrettable of all, the number of people who have lost lives to this illness have become the backdrops to our lives. In the space of less than a year, we have seen the benefits of what has been an unprecedented collaboration between the public and private spheres and between those behind the initial spur of invention and those responsible for channelling investment to foster that invention. The result is that we now have vaccines. They are currently being administered. They are being administered for free and they will be available to everybody.

Two days ago, Ms Annie Lynch, the first person in Ireland to receive a vaccine, got her second dose. It is a great news story at the end of what has been a very tough year for the country and for every community, business, family and group. The availability of vaccines provides great hope to all of us. It is wholly understandable that everyone should wish to be vaccinated as soon as possible to protect themselves and their loved ones, colleagues and friends against illness. At present, demand exceeds supply, but that will not always be the case. The European Commission, acting on behalf of the member states, has negotiated six advance purchase agreements with a range of vaccine suppliers. Currently, two vaccines have been approved for use. These vaccines - one produced by Pfizer–BioNTech and the other by Moderna - have been reviewed and authorised by the European Medicines Agency, which concluded that both are safe and effective.

The vaccines are currently being administered as part of Ireland's vaccination programme. Thankfully, we are doing well by comparison with other EU member states in respect of the pace of the vaccination roll-out. I fully understand, as I am sure we all do, the very human desire to get vaccinated to be protected against this awful disease. Given that a limited number of vaccines will be available initially, it will take some time for everyone to be vaccinated. This has necessitated an allocation strategy to ensure those most at risk of Covid-19 and those who care for them will receive a vaccine first.

On 8 December, I published Ireland's national Covid-19 vaccine allocation strategy. It is very clear. It prioritises, in the first instance, those over the age of 65 living in long-term care facilities, front-line healthcare workers and those over the age of 70. These are the first three cohorts. Our Covid-19 vaccine allocation strategy was based on a paper by the Department of Health and the National Immunisation Advisory Committee. It was endorsed by the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, and it was approved by the Government. The allocation framework combines ethical principles as well as equitable access, with prioritisation for those most in need. The first priority is to vaccinate and protect the most vulnerable among us, directly use vaccines to save lives, and reduce serious illness.

While we want to roll out our vaccine programme as quickly as possible, speed should not trump safety and confidence in that programme. That is why I was troubled by a small number of stories that emerged recently indicating the prioritisation strategy was not used. Family members and possibly some others were prioritised. I note that the board of the Coombe hospital has decided to commission a review. I welcome the appointment of a senior clinician at the hospital to lead the next stage of the vaccination roll-out. I have asked the HSE for a report on the other reported incidents.

About 94,000 people received the first dose of the vaccine by last Sunday. Our vaccinator teams are working hard right across the country. At the end of this week, our most vulnerable citizens - those in long-term residential care - will have received the first dose of the vaccine. As a nation, we should all be really proud of this.

I am delighted to be able to share with the House that we are on course to meet our target for this Sunday, that is, 140,000 vaccines. Broadly speaking, there is a 50:50 split between front-line healthcare workers and those in the long-term residential care sector. In that sector, the focus is on residents over 65 and the staff in the nursing homes. There are 589 nursing homes. Also included are residents over 65 in residential mental health settings and residents over 65 in residential settings for those with disabilities. There are some cases in which not everyone can be vaccinated because of the prevalence of Covid-19 or infections within a particular setting but these cases are being prioritised and will be got to according to the relevant clinical advice.

The news on vaccination is very good. I thank, in particular, the task force and the HSE. Not only have we accelerated vaccination in the nursing homes and other long-term residential care settings, for reasons all in this House understand, but, even in spite of a 50% reduction in our Pfizer allocation this week, we are still on target to reach 140,000 vaccinations by the end of the week. This was a really important target for us to hit. It essentially means we are emptying the buffer down to a very small level but that is the decision we took. We wanted to make sure we got the residential care sector done by the end of the week. I acknowledge the considerable work of our vaccination teams, clinicians and staff running the programme not only in being able to hit the target but also in being able to do so when we were given about 24 hours' notice of a quite substantial reduction in the Pfizer allocation this week. Well done to everybody involved.

As a nation, we are on a long journey together in terms of the vaccination programme. Even with the great start the country has had, stumbling blocks have been encountered, as with any complex process.

There is, for example, the issue I have spoken about of the short notice of a 50% reduction in the Pfizer supply. I am happy to report to colleagues that the supply schedule is expected to return to what was agreed from next week and we have indications we will get higher future amounts to make up for what happened this week, which is important. The AstraZeneca vaccine, which I was delighted to find out is being produced on a not-for-profit basis, can be administered more easily outside of the dedicated vaccination centres. As we know, Pfizer and Moderna have to be stored at -70° and -20°C. Pfizer, from when it is taken out of the freezer, has 120 hours to get into somebody's arm. That can still be done through GP practices but it is much more complex. AstraZeneca is still a two-dose regime but it can be kept at refrigeration temperature, which makes it much more amenable for use in other settings. Ireland has secured 3.3 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine through advance purchase. It is envisaged that its availability will provide the backbone for the next phase of vaccinations, which will include being administered by pharmacists and GPs in our communities.

Plans are being progressed to ensure vaccines can be delivered at pace as volumes increase in the coming weeks. The scale-up will be achieved through a number of partnerships, including, as I said, GPs and pharmacists, but others as well, and through the mass vaccination centres. Planning is ongoing to mobilise the mass vaccination centres soon. From early February we will see them in operation.

We expect to receive news from the European Medicines Agency, EMA, about the AstraZeneca vaccine at the end of January. The date set is 29 January. At that point we will be in a position to provide more accurate vaccination timelines for all citizens. I know people are looking for it and I hear that loud and clear and fully agree. As I said before, we are planning our programme based on a supply of vaccines that would mean every citizen can be vaccinated by September. That is what we are working to but, as colleagues are aware, the timelines are indicative. It is hoped they will provide reassurances and clarity for people but I re-emphasise that these timelines are based on assumptions for the future delivery of other vaccines, including at this point AstraZeneca, which have yet to be approved. Companies behind the other vaccines have not even applied for approval yet. These are tentative timelines, but I know people want a sense of where we are going and when people will get to be vaccinated.

In the shorter term, I have told the vaccine task force to ensure clarity is provided to pharmacists, dentists, carers and other front-line healthcare workers in the coming days regarding when they will be vaccinated. Colleagues from my party and right across the House are asking when that will have gone through for the pharmacists, dentists, hospital workers or other groups in their constituencies. I hear that loud and clear and want to get that certainty to people as quickly as possible. There is the possibility that other issues will arise over the course of such a big vaccination programme. However, I have every confidence that when these issues are identified, they will be dealt with.

I acknowledge again with thanks the commitment of all involved in the roll-out of the vaccination programme, which will deliver a safer Ireland for everybody in the coming months. I also thank the public, who have sacrificed so much to keep each other safe and who have followed the current guidelines, thus pushing the current Covid case numbers back down. Vaccines are on the way and we as a nation are on our way.

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