Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked if we are vaccinating those who have had Covid-19 in order and the answer is, "Yes". As he and I have talked about previously, there is interesting evidence and data from the UK, which the Deputy referenced. I have requested that the National Public Health Emergency Team, NPHET, comes back to me with a view on that but the current position is regardless of whether or not one has had Covid-19, one will be vaccinated.

Both Deputies asked understandable questions about those with underlying conditions. As the Deputies acknowledged, there will not be political involvement in who may be deemed to be in the particularly high risk group. The national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, will give a view on that, as will NPHET and the Chief Medical Officer. The Department of Health will then come to me with a view. My role was to pose the question and to say I would like this looked at because it has, rightly, been raised by many Deputies over many weeks. It is a detailed and sensitive piece of work, as the Deputies have acknowledged. I hope to be able to discuss it in detail next week with colleagues in the House. However, we obviously need to leave space for the various groups to come to conclusions.

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