Bríd Smith (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

I ask about the vaccination programme. I listened carefully to the Government's announcement yesterday and again this morning when it was replayed during a radio interview. To put it mildly, the Government's plan to reopen the economy is almost 100% dependent on a successful roll-out of the vaccination programme. One could say that is fair enough because it is expected we will get a million vaccines in May, June and afterwards, so there shall be plenty of them in the country. Let us say that happens and there are no problems with distribution or imports. Will the Taoiseach clarify if we are sufficiently resourced in vaccinators, as this is where we could have a problem? I have a niece who is an unemployed midwife and who has offered to be a vaccinator. Ridiculous questions are asked by CPL, the outsourced recruitment company, including requests for the certificate for the BCG vaccine given to people when they were six. They also ask for the junior certificate and the long version of a birth certificate. These questions are obstacles being put in front of people trained as public nurses and doctors who want to be vaccinators. How in God's name are we going to vaccinate millions of people without plenty of vaccinators? Why are these obstacles being put ahead of people's health? Will the Taoiseach explain if he has faith in CPL to deliver the programme?

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