Róisín Shortall (Dublin North West, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

Everybody appreciates the significant logistical challenges involved in the vaccine roll-out programme. It is important to have transparency and for the Minister to share as much information as possible. Obviously, it is subject to change and that is fully appreciated. It is good to receive the daily figures for the number of vaccines given. The other side of that is obviously the plan we have for the vaccines that have arrived in the country. People appreciate that is subject to change. However, the Minister should at least give us the breakdown of the people who have received the vaccine. It would be worthwhile to have other information that would let people know exactly what is going on so that we do not need to drag it out of the Minister every week here. Much more could be done in that regard.

We can all make cases for different groups of people who should have a higher priority. I reiterate the point about people who have serious underlying life-threatening health conditions, including transplant recipients. These are people who have similar mortality rates to the over 70s in long-term care facilities. They are aged under 70 and go right down to teenagers with serious underlying life-threatening conditions. Over the past year, cocooning has had an impact on these individuals and their wider families who, in many cases, need to move out of the family home. That is a very distinct group. They are clinically identifiable. It is very important that consideration be given to that group whose lives are in danger and who must have a high priority as a result. I again stress the importance of that bearing in mind that there are also teenagers in that group who need consideration. I note what the Minister said earlier.

The next issue relates to the number of residents and staff in nursing homes who have yet to receive their first dose of the vaccine. I have been looking for that information for the past two weeks. Can the Minister provide it now? What is the estimated date for completion of all vaccinations in nursing homes and long-term care facilities?

What is the up-to-date position on the efficacy of current vaccines in dealing with the known variants, specifically the South African and Brazilian variants?

What is the up-to-date advice on the impact of transmissibility on the three vaccines currently in use?

My next question relates to the gap between the first and second doses of a vaccine. Firefighters were recently told, when they got their first dose, that it would be 12 weeks until they got their second dose. Why is that?

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