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Covid-19: State prepares mass mobilisation of health system for vaccination

Inside Politics: Up to 14 million doses may be purchased by the State

Up to 14 million Covid-19 vaccine doses may be purchased by the State

Jack Horgan-Jones's face
Jack Horgan-Jones
Tue Dec 15 2020 - 07:42

Good morning.

As the sun sets on a political year that will never be forgotten, the Government will be hoping Santa’s sack contains some good news for the Coalition. Maybe a Brexit trade deal, all tied up with a bow? Or an immaculately wrapped EMA approval for a Covid-19 vaccine?

After a rough year, all hands will be hoping to avoid any nasty surprises, like a lump of coal. Or a new strain of Covid-19.

Tuesday’s big political set-piece will be the publication of the Covid-19 vaccination taskforce report, so let us be the first to wish you a happy V-Day. As we report in our lead story this morning, today will see Cabinet consider plans to distribute more than €100 million worth of vaccines. This will be a mass mobilisation of the State’s public health system unlike any before, with five million citizens to inoculate, many of whom will need two doses.

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The State is set to roll out a programme that will use mobile-vaccination units for the most vulnerable, mass immunisation centres and hospitals as vaccine centres for their staff, as well as heavily leaning on the State’s network of GPs and pharmacists in the latter stages.

Up to 14 million doses may be purchased by the State, depending on whether a sixth advanced purchase agreement is signed off by the EU with drug company Sanofi. A workforce programme will be put in place as healthcare professionals the length and breadth of the State are pressed into action.

The HSE is promising an end-to-end digital solution to help track the rollout of the programme, which promises sprawling complexity as different vaccines with different delivery timelines and storage requirements are delivered into millions of arms across the State.

Meanwhile, a massive public communications campaign will go hand-in-hand with the programme, with the State placing an emphasis on experts to debunk anticipated misinformation relating to the vaccines.

With so many moving parts what can possibly go wrong? Our lead story is here.

All this is playing out amid ongoing concern over the level of infection in the State. After Sunday's concerning total of 429 new infections, yesterday saw the Department of Health announce 264 new cases, a figure more in line with recent totals. Yesterday evening's briefing by the National Public Health Emergency Team (Nphet) was also largely given over to the vaccine. Our health editor Paul Cullen's report is here.

Green wobble

There’s always room for one more political skirmish before the holidays, provided in spades by Green Party TDs Neasa Hourigan and Patrick Costello, who told their party leadership they would not vote to ratify an EU-Canada trade deal that had been due for a debate and vote today.

The party leaders discussed the issue at their weekly Monday night meeting, deciding on a good-old-fashioned kick for touch. Reaffirming their support for the deal, they decided to return to it in January.

However, this may only paper over the cracks. The strongly held view in Fine Gael, in particular, is the Comprehensive Economic Trade Agreement (Ceta) is a good one and its passage is both politically agreed and economically desirable. Crucially, they argue this is allowed for in the Programme for Government. The argument goes that the language in the PfG, specifically that there will be support for “new and existing EU trade deals to expand . . . into new markets”, allows for (and in fact commits) the Government to ratifying Ceta.

The contrary argument goes that Ceta has been effectively operational, if not ratified, for three years, so therefore it doesn’t allow for access to new markets.

Fine Gael sources point to support for the motion from Green members of Cabinet, and certainly the leaders’ statement last night doesn’t indicate the Green leadership feels any differently.

Meanwhile, some in the Green Party argue that the Fine Gael position is pure sophistry, and that Ceta was explicitly ruled out during PfG negotiations. There are concerns within the parliamentary party about dispute-resolution systems that prioritise the rights of corporations over citizens, among other things.

It is understood all this was thrashed out at a Green Party parliamentary party meeting on Monday. While some present said it was “cordial”, this is not a view shared by all. In fact, it is hotly disputed.

None of the parties seem likely to resile from their views, with the issue likely to exacerbate tensions between and within the Coalition parties. This one could get nasty, and difficult, in the new year. Our write-up is here.

Brexit crisis rumbles on

Meanwhile, Brexit continues to rumble ominously in the background. The optimists in Government believe that rational self-interest will win the day, but one cannot discount the view of Sinn Féin’s John Brady, who said on Monday: “Boris Johnson is not like a conventional politician. He can’t be relied on to make the smart move. At the critical moment, he will make the best move for Boris not Britain.”

Denis Staunton reports on a change in rhetoric from Downing Street. Naomi O'Leary's analysis from Brussels is here, while Simon Carswell's insight into the potential impact of collapsed trade talks on essential ingredients, like flour, is here.

Decks cleared, halls decked

With Christmas just around the corner, the Cabinet has a busy day ahead of it as it seeks to clear the political decks for the last time in 2020. As my colleague Harry McGee reports, the Government is set to ditch proposals by Shane Ross for a 17-member judicial appointments commission with a lay majority.

Minister for Justice Helen McEntee, who was so recently extolling the virtues of the Judicial Appointments Advisory Board during the Seámus Woulfe controversy, will bring plans to replace it with a nine-member commission. The Attorney General will sit on the panel but not vote. In the event of a deadlock, it will be asked to retake the vote.

The Cabinet is also set to discuss plans to extend regulation, subsidies and training to child minders who look after children outside of traditional settings such as creches.

In addition to the aforementioned vaccines memo, Cabinet may also hear from Minister for Defence Simon Coveney on wide-ranging plans for the future of the Defence Forces.

Harry's pre-Cabinet tee-up is here. Conor Gallagher is writing on the Defence Forces plan here.

Best reads

Away from all things political, Sara Keating has some lovely children's books shortlisted for small stockings.

Dr Muiris Houston talks vaccine hesitancy here.

Fiona Reddan writes about how a quiet Christmas may be the best time to get your finances in order.

Playbook

Dáil

There will be a Ceta-shaped hole in the Dáil schedule, which at time of writing (6.23am, since you ask), had not been updated to take account of last night’s to-ing and fro-ing, with just under two hours scheduled for debate and voting on ratification of the deal from around 4pm.

The day in the lower house will kick off with statements on the 50th anniversary of the treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons at 1.10pm.

Leaders’ Questions are set 2pm, before Taoiseach’s questions just after 3pm. In the evening, Minister for Further and Higher Education Simon Harris will take oral questions at 6.19pm, followed by Private Members’ business on Sinn Féin’s Homeless Prevention Bill at 7.49pm. The day is rounded off by topical issues, currently set for 9.49pm.

Sinn Féin’s Brian Stanley is also set to address the Dáil this afternoon on the issue of his controversial tweets.

Seanad

After commencement matters at 1.30pm, the Seanad will hear an hour of statements on the Irish sign language Act, before debating a motion to implement the Government’s commitment to roll out free access to contraception to women and girls aged 17 to 25 as a matter of priority.

The full schedule is here.

Committees

The Dáil housing committee is set to hear evidence on the Housing Assistance Payment, which has seen hundreds of millions paid to landlords on behalf of State-supported tenants, from Threshold and the St Vincent de Paul. That’s at 11am.

Speaking of spending millions, Minister for Environment Eamon Ryan will be in front of the climate action committee, explaining why Ireland has to pay €50 million to Denmark and Estonia for renewable electricity that will never be used here. That’s at 1.30pm.

The Central Bank will be in front of the finance committee at the same time on, unsurprisingly, banking issues.

Junior minister Anne Rabbitte is before the committee on children, disability, and integration at 4pm, and the agriculture committee is hearing evidence on the impact of Brexit on the agri-food industry at the same time. The full schedule is here.

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