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The hospitality sector will have to wait for a further rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination program before it can be opened, the Taoiseach said.
Micheál Martin said he did not “see a major reopening of the economy on March 5,” the date that Level 5 restrictions are in effect, and that the government would take a “cautious and conservative approach” to lifting the restrictions.
Stating that the reopening of the hospitality sector would be delayed until the inoculation program progressed much further, he added: “I am not talking about the hospitality as a whole, there may be different approaches.”
But he said he believes “we will have a critical mass vaccinated by the end of the summer.”
“And I anticipate that as we move into the second and third quarters, the issue will become vaccine administration rather than supply.”
Speaking about the launch of the vaccination program in an extensive interview on RTÉ’s This Week program, Mr. Martin said, “We have to be careful in making precise decisions” about the timing of vaccines because “it depends on the supply.”
He said that so far the government had fulfilled the commitments it made to vaccinate residents and staff of nursing homes, except for those with Covid-19 outbreaks.
They were moving to vaccinate those over 70, he said. The deadline to complete the vaccination of that cohort was at the end of March and Mr. Martin said that “we have a backup plan” if the AstraZeneca supplies do not materialize, with other vaccines.
“We are sourcing higher volumes from Pfizer BioNTech and Moderna and the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is expected in April,” he said.
The Taoiseach said he was being honest with people. He was unable to give precise figures given the volatility of the offer. Ireland lowered the expected 300,000 doses of AstraZeneca, from 1.4 million to 1.1 million, but said “we can take it up again.”
“I think the launch so far has been in line with the commitments made.” He understood people’s impatience, but said, “We don’t control the external environment around vaccine manufacturing.”
He reiterated that the priority was to reopen elementary schools in a staggered manner, first the schools for special needs and the construction sector, if virus cases fall below 1,000 per day.
Mr. Martin also said that “there may be news this week” about the options for the Bachelor’s Certificate.
The exam advisory committee had been meeting, but they wanted to make sure that, when an announcement is made, “all Is’s are dotted and Ts are crossed.”
“I understand that Leaving Certificate students don’t have time in the classroom; that’s a very important consideration in terms of options.”
The Taoiseach said there were different views of the student body in general, but “what is clear is that we need to bring clarity and reduce stress.”
He also said he did not anticipate a leadership competition within Fianna Fáil when his tenure as a taoiseach ends in late 2022.
Martin also said he did not believe there would be a Border poll within the next five years and deflected suggestions that he was softening the party’s opposition to the Sinn Féin coalition.
Sinn Féin is a “party of division,” he said and wanted to “force a divisive debate” in the state, adding that he was puzzled by “the degree to which they are playing politics with Covid-19.”
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