Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

In fairness, I just outlined the timelines the Deputy asked me for in respect of the booster programme. If you add it all up, including those four in seven and all people aged 50 to 59, there are now between 1.97 million and 2.2 million eligible under the NIAC advice. Those figures come from the HSE. There are timelines to consider with regard to when people got their second doses. That will be a key factor. It is not as simple as considering how the first and second doses, particularly the first, were administered and the original initiation of the primary vaccination programme. GPs, pharmacies and vaccination centres will be used for the booster vaccination programme.

With regard to antigen testing protocols, agreement between the Departments of Health and Education is very close. Again, the biggest issue arising during the presentation yesterday evening and our greatest concern is non-Covid respiratory illness, especially in paediatric medicine. The most dominant issue in healthcare as regards admissions to hospital among children has been respiratory syncytial virus, RSV, and other non-Covid illnesses. I am always surprised there has not as much focus on that in public debate. It is a very significant issue for parents of children.

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