I am happy to discuss it later with the Deputy.

With regard to whether clinicians have the latitude to recommend different vaccines for their patients, the short answer is "No". The allocation is based on the NIAC recommendations.

I presume the Deputy is referring to those people being exempted from mandatory hotel quarantine.

With regard to the exemption, the current policy is that it applies to the four EMA-approved vaccines. Sinopharm is currently under a rolling review by the EMA. The last time I checked, which was earlier this week, my understanding was that Sinopharm had not applied for authorisation from the EMA, although there may have been an update since. The Deputy makes a very fair point. For the digital green certificate, the European Commission is looking at a slightly wider group which would include Sinopharm. It is certai…

I thank the Deputy for her comments about everyone involved in the vaccine programme. It is not just our healthcare workers but so many others as well. I agree with her wholeheartedly. The programme is moving at pace. I am delighted to hear she got her first vaccine. I have registered for mine but have not been given a date yet. What I am hearing again and again is that it is running very efficiently on the ground and people are being taken care of, which we always want to see. I thank the Deputy for those comments…

I thank the Deputy for his ongoing advocacy for global justice and global fair distribution, with which I fully agree. There are various mechanisms by which Ireland can help. Ireland must help and we must do everything that we can. As was pointed out earlier, we have advance purchased a significant amount of vaccine doses, more than we would need. We can see with some of the supply issues why we and other European member states did so. At the moment we are working on how we can be of as much use as possible. There …

I thank the Deputy for his questions and his acknowledgement of the shuttle bus. The Deputy raised this issue. He and I discussed it with the Minister of State at the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, Deputy Niall Collins, Deputy Willie O'Dea and various people. I committed to Deputy O'Donnell that we would do it if it could be done. I thank him for acknowledging that and I hope it is of use. I am sure the Deputy had a smile on his face when he saw that the Limerick vacci…

I am sure it is a great relief. Regarding the cases, we had a serious situation. From the public health reports I received a combination of things were happening, including end-of-term parties, indoor family events and various other things. We also had reports of people who had been infected going into workplaces when they possibly did not need to be there and thereby becoming vectors of transmission. Essentially, what appears to have happened, and this is the public health view on the ground, is that a significant…

I will get the Deputy the data.

If the Deputy will send me the details of the lady in question, we will have the matter looked at. There are numerous ongoing cases of people travelling. We have a clear regulation in place which sets out the criteria for medical exemption. As the Deputy said, those criteria include it being time-sensitive and verification from a treating clinician. If the Deputy contacts me, I will point him to exactly the criteria. If there are issues with a particular case, he can talk to me. On Cork University Maternity Hospita…

I thank Deputy Canney for his questions on the various issues. The short answer on the AstraZeneca vaccine is that there is no plan to shorten the interval below 12 weeks. The interval was extended from 12 weeks to 16 weeks for a significant number of people and is now being brought back to 12 weeks. All of the doses we have and all those that are coming are fully committed for second doses, so the 12-week interval is deemed to be the right one. Regarding aviation, the Government is well aware of the enormous burde…

I thank the Deputy. It is a pity to hear his anger and frustration in what is a very positive roll-out across the country. He and I have discussed in the Chamber on several occasions the need for a vaccination centre in Drogheda. That has been delivered and it opened last week, as the Deputy will be aware. On the Deputy’s question on whether we need to open it for longer, if that is required, we absolutely can. I have raised the issues directly with those running the programme. If more needs to be done in Meath and…

It would be impossible to say if everybody in cohort 7 will be done but certainly as many as possible will be done by the end of June.

The short answer is "Yes", but there is one caveat. New people are being notified to us all the time. If new people are notified, we will get to them as quickly as possible. The answer is "Yes" for those known to us now.

No.

Yes, I am. There have been various issues raised regarding Meath and Louth, for example. We have responded to those. If there are any localised issues we are made aware of, we will do everything we can to respond. We want as even a roll-out as possible.

Yes, they will. Any of them who want a vaccine should be fully inoculated by the end of September.

I move: That Dáil Éireann resolves that the relevant period, within the meaning of section 9 of the Health (Amendment) Act 2021 (No. 1 of 2021), shall stand extended for the period beginning on the 8th day of June, 2021 and ending on the 31st day of July, 2021. This motion seeks agreement to the continuation in force of the Health (Amendment) Act 2021 up to 31 July 2021. I remind the House that this Act provides for the mandatory quarantine in designated facilities of persons coming into the State from certain area…

I have a closing speech, but I might try to address some of the points raised by some of the Deputies who are present. I will start with the questions raised by Deputy Connolly. With regard to appeals, as of 25 May there have been 1,518 appeals. Some 11%, or 166, were granted and 1,352 were refused. As of 20 May, the breakdown of the reasons for the 157 granted appeals were as follows: 62 were exempt vaccine, PCR or other exempt reasons, two appeals had completed quarantine, one appeal had a negative PCR test after…

I thank Deputy Harkin and all other Deputies who contributed to the debate. It has been a worthwhile, thoughtful, reflective and important debate in regard to the exceptional times we are in and the legislation and public health measures and powers that have been put in place to respond to the pandemic. I do not have a closing speech. I propose instead to try to capture the various comments, questions and themes raised by colleagues across the House. I will run through them as best I can, but inevitably there will …