Stephen Donnelly (Wicklow, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

A pilot scheme is being rolled out for the ICT system and portal for pharmacists. I have taken this up with the HSE on numerous occasions, including this week. I believe there is a role for pharmacists to play in the vaccination roll-out. That is why we put a deal in place with the Irish Pharmacy Union, IPU, at the start of this process. To date, the people running the programme have said that the capacity has not yet been needed. Between the GPs, the vaccine centres and the HSE vaccination teams, there has been sufficient capacity. We know this is correct because we have been getting the vaccines out, with the vast majority of them - around 95% - being administered within seven days of arriving into the country. However, volumes are going to increase substantially and, as the Deputy rightly says, the Janssen vaccine in particular would be very suitable for pharmacists to give out. That is something we will continue to pursue.

Regarding SNAs and teachers, the same question could be asked by many very worthy groups, which we would dearly love to see vaccinated as quickly as possible. At the moment, there are excess waiting lists in order that vaccine doses are not wasted if people do not turn up. However, that protocol is carried out according to the NIAC recommendation on the cohorts and that is how we are proceeding. It should be noted this issue will diminish very quickly in the coming weeks because, as the volumes increase significantly, which is beginning to happen, more and more SNAs, teachers and our phenomenal front-line workers, whom we want to vaccinate as quickly as possible, will be getting vaccinated anyway through the cohort system.

See this speech in context