Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister and Minister of State and am grateful for the opportunity to examine the Covid-19 vaccine roll out. At the outset I want to place on record my own appreciation to the doctors, nurses, members of the Defence Forces, vaccinators and others involved in the critical effort to bring our nation out of this pandemic. News that more than 1.25 million vaccines have been administered is extremely welcome. We have seen the positive impact of the vaccination programme on our nursing homes and hospitals and internationally in countries like Israel, the UK and the USA.

The vaccination programme combined with other public health measures will bring us out of this dreadful pandemic and allows us to return to normality during the summer. The programme has generally been successful but there are challenges. Like other Deputies, I have also been contacted by people over 70 who are housebound. The National Ambulance Service has done a fantastic job in administering vaccines to approximately 1,700 people in their own homes but I understand that around 300 people are still awaiting their first jab. It is critical that good communication is maintained with those people and their families so they can be reassured that they have not been left behind.

Many people in the high risk and very high risk categories have also been in touch with me. Some GPs are not dealing with this cohort at all and in such cases, arrangements should be made for them to register with their local HSE area office. Finally, I understand that a number of genuine, front-line workers in category 2(g), who were registered through the portal may have been left behind. I hope that is not the case but will forward the details to the Minister's office.

Will the Minister investigate the possibility of including other vaccines approved by the EMA, the FDA and other regulatory bodies in the list of accepted vaccines for people entering Ireland?

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