Eoghan Murphy (Dublin Bay South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We know that a lack of supply has been an issue in rolling out the vaccine. We also know there are extra supplies of vaccine in other countries. I ask the Minister not to consult with the task force but to mandate it to secure unilaterally extra supplies of vaccine for Ireland. The European Commission has said we are free to make these deals. Germany has done its own deal with Pfizer and it was followed by the Danes. The Danes and the Austrians are now in the first movers group with Israel for future vaccination roll-out. Sputnik V has arrived in Slovakia and there are rumours that the Czech Republic and the Austrians will follow. They are not waiting for EMA approval because they do not have to. Today, there are more than 1 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine in Germany not being used and 1.5 million doses in France are not being used. I ask the Minister to mandate the task force to get these supplies for Ireland.

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