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Covid vaccines will be free to the nation.
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Health Minister Stephen Donnelly have pledged to cover the cost of life-saving vaccines when they are implemented.
And Donnelly also confirmed that the plan is to start vaccinating in a few weeks, as soon as EU approval is obtained that the new drugs are safe.
Mr. Martin was speaking at the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party meeting last night (WED) when he confirmed that a free program is planned.
Donnelly indicated the same in an Oireachtas health committee earlier in the day, but stopped short of declaring they would be free, because it has not yet been approved by the Cabinet.
Donnelly said, “We can’t have any situation where there might be an issue of access being an issue because of affordability.”
However, Mr Martin went further in the private Fianna Fáil meeting when questioned by his own TDs, senators and MEPs when he said that “there would be no cost for vaccines”.
This will be useful for the elected members of the Fianna Fáil who will inform the party faithful in the coming days.
A TD at the meeting told Dublin Live: “Micheál confirmed that it will be free, it would not be too smart if he told us that we have to go back to our districts to tell people they will have to pay for it.”
It is estimated that the cost of the first wave of vaccinations will cost the Treasury in the region of 200 million euros.
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