Mary Butler (Waterford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Senator. The Department of Health and the HSE will continue to work with the European Commission and the manufacturer to secure sufficient doses to enable us to vaccinate all of those recommended by the National Immunisation Advisory Committee, NIAC. The Senator is right about how, when we look at the last two and a half years, the Covid vaccine was rolled out to all communities. Based on current indications about global supplies of vaccines, Ireland is likely to have increased vaccine supplies later this year and next year. The aim is to ensure that people at risk are offered a vaccine at the earliest opportunity.

However, it is important to emphasise that vaccination is only one part of our response to prevent monkeypox infection. Since the initial outbreak, significant work has been undertaken to raise awareness about the disease. There has been extensive public engagement with local community representative groups. I take the Senator's point about having more gay man on the working steering group. The Minister for Health met the gay and bisexual men who have sex with men, gbMSM, representative groups and the HSE to discuss the outbreak and engagement events continue to be held around the country. The Senator said it would be nice if his group in the Oireachtas could engage directly with the Minister. I will bring that request to him.