Pearse Doherty (Donegal, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I have a bit of advice for the Tánaiste. Instead of offering apologies on my behalf in a patronising way, maybe he would consider an apology to the tens of thousands of people locked out of the housing market after his Government of ten years, or to the hundreds of thousands paying eye-watering rent as a result of his policy.

I will focus on what the Chief Medical Officer said yesterday in confirming that the national immunisation advisory committee, NIAC, advice on changes to the vaccine roll-out for younger people was not factored into NPHET's modelling. It is reported the Taoiseach advised the Cabinet that this was factored into the modelling when the Cabinet was making the decision. Can the Tánaiste confirm which one it is?

The key ingredient to reopening society is an accelerated vaccine roll-out and we need to see a plan. When will we see the new modelling which builds on the NIAC recommendations? When we will get sight of the revised timelines and targets for the vaccine roll-out? This is a race between the variants and the vaccine roll-out but one would think, looking at the Government response, that it is a bicycle race. There was no contingency planning. When will we see these plans?

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