David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

We are entering into a critical phase in the fight against Covid. This is the phase in which we can fight back and win. It is the phase in which we can give people hope that, over the next number of months if we start to get things right, we can see the easing of restrictions as we move into the third quarter.

For that to happen, however, the State has to get its part right. The contract we made with people was that they would abide by tough restrictions. They have been doing so for some time. The State then would step up its responsibilities and make sure it would get right what is under its control. In areas such as test and trace, travel and quarantine, as well as the vaccine roll-out, we fell short in the first quarter, however. To have any chance of winning the battle against Covid - the Minister said the same in his opening statement - in the next quarter we have to get all of those basics right.

What is the number of vaccines which will have been received by the State and administered by the end of March?

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