Martin Conway (Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I concur with my colleague, Senator Byrne, in wishing the staff of the Houses of the Oireachtas and the entire parliamentary community in Leinster House a very enjoyable summer. Thankfully, it will be a normal summer or at least as normal as it can be despite the rise in the number of Covid cases.

I ask the officials in the Department of Health to clarify details about the winter programme, specifically regarding vaccinations. I ask for that because some vulnerable people have not received their fourth vaccine and that is not good enough. The Minister for Health has referred matters to the national immunisation advisory committee but I cannot understand why NIAC is taking so long to make recommendations to him. The incidence of Covid will be very serious as we move into the winter. It is now the summer and the number of Covid cases is peaking so God only knows what the situation will be like in the wintertime.

We do not know when the flu vaccination programme will be rolled out. Two or three years ago there was a difficulty with the supply of the flu vaccine. I presume that any difficulties have been resolved and the vaccine will be readily available. I believe that the flu vaccine should be made available to everybody free of charge because it is an essential health measure.

We need to know when the human papillomavirus, HPV, vaccine will be rolled out in order to forward plan. It is great that the Minister has announced that there is a catch-up programme and that all females under-25 years who have not received the vaccine do not have to pay any costs. Has a catch-up programme been announced? Have GPs signed up to rolling out the programme? Will pharmacists be involved in the delivery of the programme? People have many questions about the catch-up programme so clarifications are needed. I ask that the Deputy Leader arranges a debate on vaccines for Covid, the flu and HPV.