Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I agree with the Deputy's sentiments and will certainly discuss them with the Ministers for Public Expenditure and Reform and Health, but I will restate what I said earlier. This pandemic is not over. We are heading into a difficult couple of weeks when the number of cases will soar and those of hospitalisations, ICU admissions and deaths will increase, sadly. People who are unvaccinated are more at risk in the next few weeks than at any point since this pandemic began, and we need to get that message across to people. Our hospitals and health service are going to be busy again.

I think we can avoid, and we certainly want to avoid, any reintroduction of restrictions. Things are different now because of the vaccines, but still a huge number of people have not been fully vaccinated. Cases are increasing and they are at greater risk than they ever have been since this pandemic began, because of Delta. There is a risk that if they do not take care, they will overwhelm our hospitals and put those healthcare workers under enormous strain again.

The final message I have from this House before we rise for the recess is to say to unvaccinated people that they are at very high risk and should treat this pandemic as seriously as they did at any point since it began.

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